Finding Bella
by Wishingforlove81
Summary: Held captive for almost four years by two nomadic vampires, Bella is found unconscious and battered. When she awakens in the Cullen household, the family is distressed to find how deeply she’s fallen into the role forced on her as an abused pet.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the very talented Ms. Meyers. Thank you for letting us play with your characters!**

**Chapter 1:**

"Alice, tell me again why I let you talk us into this?"

"I told you Edward, we're supposed to come here but I can't see why. It keeps changing." Alice smoothed her dress down and turned a dazzling smile to the blonde man standing next to her, effectively ignoring Edward's sullen attitude behind her. "Why don't you try and enjoy yourself and stop worrying. We all hunted this morning, and I don't see any problems," she chided.

Edward rolled his eyes at her back and Jasper smirked at him.

The three stood outside a club pulsing with the beat of current dance music as others moved past them instinctively leaving a wide berth. Their stunning beauty should have been welcoming but subconsciously, the danger pushed them away.

Taking her husband's hand in her own, Alice led the way up the stairs, both men following silently in her wake. The small crowd parted to let them through and straight into the dim interior. This time it wasn't just their unknown fear moving them. The sight would have intimidated all but the most confident of people. Alice was petite and dainty in her appearance. Her inky black hair cut short and spiky, she walked with a natural grace any ballerina would envy. She wore a black off the shoulder dress fitted around the body and lightly flaring out at her hips before ending abruptly half way down her thighs. The silver 4 inch heels did little to bring her height anywhere near the 2 men with her. At barely 5 feet against their 6'2" and 6'3" respectively, nothing short of a step ladder would. Instead her presence and energy alone overpowered the difference in size.

While her appearance was delicate and pixie-like the two beside her came closer to resembling fabled Greek gods. On her right Jasper was muscular but not overtly so. He was lean and sinuous, with curly blonde hair hanging down just below his ears. The thin long sleeve V-neck sweater and fitted jeans he wore hugged his frame and outlined the flawless condition of his body. He stood protectively against her, possessiveness evident to anyone looking, though his face was carefully masked to appear no more than bored with his surroundings.

On Alice's left stood Edward, his bronze hair tussled and his stance arrogant. He wore a plain black T shirt that hugged his frame along with low slung kakis. A leather cuff with his family's crest in silver adorned his wrist. Jasper wore an identical one that was partially hidden by the sleeve of his sweater. Like Jasper, his body was flawless, yet more leonine in comparison.

All three were incomparably beautiful with pale skin and molten gold eyes.

"Jazz, let's dance," Alice begged excitedly. He grimaced good naturedly.

"Whatever you want love," he responded.

Edward rolled his eyes at the thoughts passing through their minds. Images he didn't want to see passed through his head as the two lovers headed towards the throbbing beat of the music in the large room they had entered.

"I'll be over by the bar. Try not to be too obvious, will you." Alice shot him a quick dirty look as they blended into the crowd on the dance floor of the club, her hips already swaying to the beat. Edward tried to ignore their thoughts as much as possible; there were some things a brother really didn't want to know about his siblings, adopted or not. Keeping to the outskirts of the crowd, he was able to use his gift for mind reading to his advantage, carefully avoiding the girls - and occasional guy – that contemplated approaching him. Normally he didn't care one way or the other for his appearance, other than being respectable and clean, but occasionally in times like these he wished for the disfiguring acne or greasy hair that helped dissuade potential suitors.

There were a number of others here from his high school, many he had classes with. The Port Angeles club had realized the need for Friday night entertainment for the underage population in the area and teens from miles around flocked to the once monthly events. He saw Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory up by the bar whispering behind their hands and giggling conspiratorially while sneaking covert glances his way. Those two had been a constant annoyance lately. Neither dared to approach him, but their thoughts during classes made him wonder if the long held notions about boys and sex were really so gender limited. Their constant creativity appalled him.

He caught occasional glimpses of Jasper and Alice grinding against each other on the dance floor over the next hour or so and was trying to choose a reasonable excuse to leave when Jasper's thoughts caught his attention and their eyes quickly met over the pulsating crowd. Jasper's eyes widened with the intensity of the emotions he was hit with. Someone nearby was immersed in feelings of disgust, pain, fear, and above all hopelessness. Suddenly Alice stilled in front of him, Jasper quickly breaking eye contact with Edward to watch her face, her expression blank. Edward was the only one to share the sight before her eyes; a dimly lit room, the music still throbbing but muted and a girl lying on the floor. The vision ended and both she and Jasper looked quickly at Edward, her thoughts mirroring his own. _We have to find her. _

His siblings made their way across the dance floor as quickly as possible without attracting unwanted attention. As soon as they reached Edward, Alice paused, trying to look ahead for more clues as to the girl's location.

"Upstairs, I think," Alice spoke quietly. No one else in the club would have heard them even if the music had been silenced but the two with her heard clearly. Edward swiftly led the way towards a door marked private. He knew from unwillingly "overhearing" past daydreams of several of his classmates that through it was a poorly lit stairway, perfect for the occasional private interlude between couples.

Glancing around to be sure they weren't seen all three carefully slipped through the door into the darkened stairwell. Their sensitive eyes could see without trouble and all three stiffened at the subtle scent that assailed them. Vampires.

The thoughts of his siblings in his head were similar to Edwards own, extreme caution was always prudent when approaching others of their kind. Not all were as open minded about their own chosen lifestyle as some.

"I don't see any of them up there. They're gone for now but we need to hurry and get her out of here. Edward, she's hurting." Alice's whispered comments were so low and fast a human standing next to her would have noticed nothing.

Quickly, all three flew up the steps, not a sound between them. At the top of two flights was a narrow dark hallway with 4 doors. All three hastily drew upon their gifts to assure themselves no one else was present. Jasper cautiously moved to the last door, following the faint sound of a heartbeat, carefully testing the knob as the other two followed close behind. It turned without resistance, unlocked. Inside the scent of vampires was stronger but also present were whiffs of old food, human sweat and the unmistakable odor of old blood. Jasper immediately stopped breathing at the first taste of blood in the air, old or not. Though he worked carefully on his control it was still no where near that of his siblings yet. Edward grimaced and carefully stepped into the room, Jasper immediately behind with Alice tucked protectively at his back.

It was a small apartment, filthy and dark. A tiny light beside the large unmade bed cast a dim yellow glow around the unkempt bedroom illuminating the only sound present. The quiet steady heartbeat came from a young woman lying on what looked like a large dirty pink dog bed in the corner. Silently warning the other two to stay put by the door Edward cautiously approached her. His perfect eyesight made the lamp unnecessary but it still cast a sickly color across her pale skin. Her dark hair was long and lank, mostly hiding her face. She wore a thin dingy pink slip that reached mid thigh and was half curled on her side with her back against the wall. There were two dirty metal bowls next to her; on both were etched "_Bella"_ in flowing script. One was crusted with the dried up remains of some unknown food and the other half filled with grimy water.

Carefully, Edward knelt down in front of her. Her eyes were half closed, mere slits, and she didn't so much as flinch when he reached out to gently brush her hair out of her eyes and tuck it behind her ear. Monitoring her emotions through Jasper he thought she was aware of them but couldn't be sure. She made no outward sign of even recognizing his presence.

Edward was hit with a sudden need to protect the frail human girl in front of him. He had no idea where the impulse came from. Normally he was indifferent to the presence of all but his family, choosing instead his solitude. For the first time he felt drawn to another, but not like he was to his family. He knew Jasper could sense his confused feelings but was wholly unprepared for Alice's vision flashing before his eyes. Like before, it was brief, only lasting a few seconds. But it was all he needed to recognize himself with a beautiful dark haired girl standing below an arbor of flowers surrounded by his family.

"Edward!" Alice exclaimed reverently undiluted joy evident in her voice. Unwilling to dissect at that moment what they had just seen and how he really felt about it, he chose to ignore her and quickly began assessing the situation before him. She appeared to be in her mid to late teens, and he could see that even without the obvious semi-starvation she'd endured that she would have been slender. Her dark brown hair was dirty and tangled, and her body unclean. It was obvious she hadn't washed in days at least. There was no scent of urine or feces so he quickly deduced that some of her needs were being taken care of in some small way. She was bare other than the thin slip and a motley assortment of bruises could be seen on various parts of her visible body. He also noticed her left ankle was swollen and bruised making him guess it was badly sprained if not broken.

The girl still had not moved and if it weren't for the subtle signs of life only his kind could see he would have thought her dead. As it was he was increasingly worried about her mental state. She was silent. Not just to the room, but to him as well. His only experiences with such things were from the deepest coma patients he'd occasionally observed when visiting Carlisle at the hospital. It was strange though… he'd at least felt their presence then and once in a while a flickering color or shape they would see in their unconsciousness. But here, this girl, it was like hitting a wall. Nothing.

He didn't have time to ponder that strange revelation. There was little doubt of the abuse she'd suffered, and from the look of her, for more than just a few days or weeks. For the moment though her lack of awareness was for the best. If she had suffered at the hands of vampires no doubt three strange ones carrying her off would not be a welcome solution to her current situation. There was something else he was noticing now this close to her. Beneath the filthy smells around her was an intoxicating aroma. Subtle now, but more noticeable the more he breathed. It called to him, igniting his instincts in more ways than one. He wanted her. Calling on every bit of control he possessed he fought back his thirst.

Slowly he reached below her legs and chest to lift her. As he did, her hair fell away to reveal a wide pink leather collar tight around her neck. A single gold heart shaped tag hung from the ring and was etched with the name Bella, just like the bowls. Immediately Edward suspected this must be the girl's name, but he was more concerned with the other item attached to the collar's ring. A length of chain led to a small ring screwed to the wall behind her. The leash couldn't have been more than a few feet long not enough for her to even stand upright he was sure. Attempting to move her as little as possible he tried to unbuckle the collar from around her neck. When it refused to cooperate he instead squeezed the chain itself and with a small metallic crunch it was broken in half allowing him to gather her into his arms freely and turn to his companions. The few links remaining tinkled lightly with the movement, loud in the silence of the room.

Quietly he spoke to his siblings. "Jasper, go get the car and meet us around back. Alice and I will get her out through the window outside the front door. I don't want to go back down the stairs and risk being seen." Jasper sped out of the room silently and Edward approached Alice. The girl was limp in his arms and he tried to be as gentle as possible while handling her.

"Alice, can you see if you can get the collar off without hurting her," he whispered quietly. She leaned forward and carefully slipped her fingers underneath and against the girl's neck. Lucky her hands were so small as there was very little room to spare. The collar was barely loose enough for the girl to breath.

Alice swallowed a mouthful of venom when the girl's pulse pressed against the back of her fingers. She may have had excellent control but she was not immune to her instincts. When the buckle refused to come undone she tugged the leather between her fingers, careful where the pressure built and was rewarded a split second later as the leather ripped apart, freeing the girl from her constraint. A soft growl vibrated through Edward's chest as he saw the red indentations it had left around her throat.

Silently they slipped out and Alice closed the door softly behind them. She turned and slowly slid the glass window open in the dark hallway climbing up with ease to perch in the frame. The cold air that blew in lightly didn't affect them, however the weak human in Edward's arms shivered almost immediately, already chilled from Edward's own body temperature.

"Alice. Go back in and grab a blanket off the bed. She'll freeze out there with us." Edward whispered quickly. Alice nimbly leapt down and slipped back into the room and out in mere seconds. She helped him to carefully wrap the girl in the blanket tucking it between his skin and hers to be sure she was as well covered as possible. Immediately he missed the contact. Her skin was torturous pressed against his own. It called to his thirst and it called to what still remained of him as a man. A part he had long since thought non-existent. He wanted her.

Alice leapt back up into the window immediately. "Here, hand her to me. Jasper will be here in 30 seconds." He paused, for some reason not wanting to let the girl out of his sight, not even for a moment. Alice's perfect eyebrow arched over one eye. _Edward! Hand her here. We need to get her out of here now! _Alice's thoughts were filled with worry for this girl. Mentally shaking his head at the strange new emotions taking him by surprise he slid the bundle he carried into her arms, mindful of her damaged ankle, and the two dropped out of sight. Swiftly he followed, careful to close the window behind him before landing just as quietly on the ground below.

He took the girl back from Alice immediately, and both turned as her yellow Porsche pulled up beside them, Jasper at the wheel. Alice held the seat forward as Edward deftly climbed in the back setting his burden gently on his lap and holding her close to his chest. Her heartbeat thudded back at him steadily giving him hope that in time she would recover fully from whatever harm she had suffered. His medical knowledge was mostly theory and based on texts, not hands on experience, but from his cursory examination she didn't appear to have any life threatening injuries.

They drove in silence, Alice glancing back frequently to watch the girl for any sign of consciousness. Jasper raced the sports car along the darkened back roads taking the tight turns expertly at well over a hundred miles an hour. As they pulled into the drive of their secluded home in nearby Forks, Edward could hear the thoughts of his family; not just Esme and Carlisle as expected, but Emmett and Rosalie as well. _Great! They're back from their hunting trip early… how am I going to explain this!_

Jasper's thoughts were running along similar paths, along with thoughts of how having a human in the house indefinitely would be difficult and not knowing what they could do with her once she was better. Though worried about the health of the girl, Alice was the only one of the three completely confident that things were exactly as they were supposed to be.

As the Porsche slid to a stop next to the large porch, Emmett flew out to greet his siblings and skidded to a halt when he noticed Edward exit with the unmoving girl in his arms. His thoughts were confused, but before he could launch into a bout of twenty questions, Edward slipped past him and called softly "Carlisle. Help."

**A/N: This is my very first attempt at writing fan fiction. Please review and let me know what you think. I welcome constructive critisism if you can see an area that should be improved. I also welcome comments, questions and plot ideas :). I have an idea where I want this to go, but there is room for adjustment if someone offers a better idea that gets my mind working. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm SO sorry for the delay in getting Chapter 2 up. I really intended to have it posted last weekend, but our 10mo old Boston Terrorist ATE my laptop powercord, so not only could I not post, I also couldn't write or read anyone else's stories for the past week except during a few stolen minutes at work (err - okay, maybe a little more than minutes, lol). FINALLY, the replacement cord came in the mail today and this was my first priority. Chapter 3 will be up probably tuesday or wednesday, and since I'll be flying out to Las Vegas on Thursday for a week, I hope to have lots of time to write on the plane trip there and back and have chapter 4 (and maybe more) ready the following week. **

**Many thanks to my Beta's Aprilbaby19 and NessiieCullen!!**

**Last but not least thank you SO SO much for the lovely reviews I've already received. This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction, and it's very inspiring when I hear how much others like what I write. I can see now why some people write multiple stories at once - this is addicting! Please review if you liked it, and even if you didn't. I welcome constructive critisism, ideas and suggestions as well. **

**Chapter 2:**

"Here, put her in our room for now."

"Thank you" Edward answered softly. He followed Alice into her and Jasper's bedroom with the rest of the family close behind, their thoughts a jumble of questions in his mind. Immediately Carlisle was by his side assessing the girl's condition.

"Where did you find her?" he asked. There was no need for a stethoscope; the entire family could hear her steady heart beat and light breathing. Alice set Carlisle's medical bag on the other side of the bed, having fetched it from his office down the hall. Together, Edward and Carlisle carefully unwrapped the girl from the dirty blanket and tossed it on the floor before Edward laid her gently down on the bed.

"She was chained up in a small room above the club. When we found her we caught the scent of others like us. It looked like they'd been keeping her as a pet." Disgust was evident in his voice at the last comment, though he spoke softly. "How anyone could treat any living thing like that, I don't understand. It was deplorable the way she was tied. There's no way she could have even stood up straight." Fury welled up and Edward had to work to keep his temper in check. The urge to go back and find the ones that had done this was enormous. Where was this anger coming from? Why did he care so much? Confusion over such foreign feelings only increased his anger and frustration.

A wave of calm invaded his mind and he glanced back at Jasper appreciatively before turning his attention to the girl while Carlisle continued his exam. Her lightweight slip did little to conceal her body from them.

"She has some pretty severe bruising, and is definitely dehydrated and malnourished. They've been feeding her, but not much by the looks of things." He felt her frame carefully, focusing on both his findings and looking for her response, but there was none. "There are a couple of past broken bones here I think," he said, feeling her arms and ribs then down each leg, "and her ankle looks to have been fractured fairly recently. Esme dear, can you bring some ice up in a towel. It will help bring the swelling down so I can decide if it needs to be cast."

Careful to keep to human speeds around her, he gently lifted her lids and flashed a penlight into each of her eyes, seeking a response from her pupils. "Her eyes were open slightly when we found her." Edward spoke when he thought back. "I got the feeling she was aware of us, even though she didn't react."

Carlisle's brows puckered slightly as he digested that information. "Tell me everything that happened". Quickly, Edward recounted the evening, from Jasper's sudden awareness of her emotions to when they drove home. He paused momentarily when Esme returned with the ice Carlisle had requested.

"She doesn't appear to be comatose. What is she thinking right now?" Carlisle questioned further.

Edward shook his head and looked at Carlisle. "I haven't heard anything from her since we found her. It's like hitting a brick wall. There's nothing there."

"That's never happened before has it?" Emmett stood by the door with Rosalie, looking at them with confusion etched in his brows. Turning to Carlisle he asked "how is that possible?"

"I don't know. Even if she were in a coma, Edward should be able to hear something." He paused briefly to consider "I can't really be sure yet, but my first guess would be she's just withdrawn into herself so deeply to escape whatever she's been dealing with that she's past instinctive reactions to stimuli. It's possible that the abuse was severe enough to encourage her mind to simply shut down all thoughts to protect itself."

"What can we do to bring her back?" Alice asked softly.

"For the moment, it's probably better she remains as she is. If she's suffered violently at the hands of vampires, waking up in a house full of them is not going to be a comforting thought for her. Let's concentrate on getting her physically better and give her mind some time to itself. She may snap out of it on her own, and in the meantime we can try to figure out who she is and what to do with her. Even if she has a family somewhere, she obviously knows about our kind. That knowledge puts the lives of her and any other humans around her in very real danger. We'll have to wait until we know more to decide how we can help."

Listening to Carlisle echo his own thoughts from earlier that it be best for her to remain unconscious for the moment, Edward relaxed infinitesimally.

"Alice, why don't you and Esme see about getting the spare rooms set up for her. Rose, will you and Emmett head to a grocery store and pick up a few things. There's a 24 hour one in Port Angeles I believe. I have a feeling she's been like this for some time, and probably will be for a while longer but we need to be prepared whenever she does come out of it." Carlisle issued directions with quiet authority. "Jasper, you should probably stay close by for the time being. I know this is harder for you, but we may have need of your abilities. You don't need to be in the same room, just close enough to monitor her." Pausing as he realized something, he asked "I wonder why you can feel her emotions, but Edward can't hear her thoughts…" he trailed off and Edward listened distractedly to him hypothesizing in his mind while he focused again on the pale and bruised girl lying on the bed.

As they left the room, he could here Rose and Esme making a quick list of things the girl would need.

"Her name is Bella" he spoke softly to Carlisle, knowing the others would probably still hear him. When Carlisle looked at him questioningly, he described the name etched on the bowls and the tag on her collar.

"I wonder if that's her real name, or just the one they decided to give her?" Carlisle responded.

"I hadn't thought of that. Should we still use it around her?"

Carlisle thought for a moment. "We don't know anything about her yet, but it's something to start with." Why don't you and Jasper spend some time researching missing children and see if you can find one that fits her description. If we can find any information at all, maybe that will give us some further clues about how long she's been a captive, and anything else that might help us.

"For the moment, I need you to step out anyway so that I can finish the examination." Edward was aware from Carlisle's thoughts what he would be looking for: signs of sexual abuse. A fresh wave of anger washed over him as he thought about what this girl could possibly have endured and once again he was left wondering why it mattered to him so much.

Edward followed Jasper to his study in the next room, both in silent agreement to follow Carlisle's suggestion immediately. Sitting down at his desk and turning on his Macbook, Jasper searched for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Clicking on the search option, he typed in all the information they had to go on: a brunette, brown eyed female. When Carlisle had checked her pupil response, Edward had noted her eyes were a deep brown in color close to the disgusting chocolate bars the kids at school ate so often. With such non specific information, hundreds of listings were brought up. They set to work clicking on any that would fit the approximate age and description of the girl

After disregarding the first few results, Edward thought to ask Carlisle a question. Knowing he could be heard clearly in the room next door he asked "Carlisle. Does she have any distinguishable birth marks?" He followed Carlisle's thoughts as he scanned the girl quickly. _None that I can see that would stand out. Identical freckles on either side of her belly button, and one on the back of her left shoulder, but none are larger than a pencil eraser._ They continued on, going further and further back. The abductees were listed in order by the date they went missing, the most recent first.

Edward continued to pay close attention to Carlisle's thoughts as he finished his examination. He had found what he feared most, signs of sexual abuse. Fortunately, the damage done was less than what it could have been. Either the vampire who had committed the act had exceptional control, or they had not been the one to actually complete the act or acts performed. The possibilities ran through both of their minds. It added an entirely new level of horror to the ordeal this girl had experienced.

Having finished evaluating her condition, Carlisle decided the first course of treatment was that he needed to get some fluids and nutrients into the girl. His appraisal of her condition showed she had been half starved for what he estimated was at least three to four months to bring her body to its present condition. Nearly every bone in her body was visible, her cheeks sunken in and delicate bruises were under her eyes. Her skin was so pale and nearly translucent, that she could possibly have passed as one of their own kind. He also wanted to draw some blood to check for any possible infections or diseases.

"Jasper" he called. "I need to give her some fluids by IV and I also want to draw some blood to have tested when I go into the hospital later today. It may be best if you stepped out for a moment while I do so. I know you hunted yesterday morning, but there's no need to push yourself."

Jasper spoke back his appreciation for the warning and silently slipped down the stairs and out of the house. He decided that although he had in fact hunted the previous morning, with a human in the house indefinitely it would be prudent to hunt much more frequently to aid his control. There also was no telling how much he would be needed when she first awoke and it would be best to stay prepared. He pushed himself constantly, but because of his previous lifestyle before joining the Cullen family, being around humans on a constant basis was still much more difficult for him than for any of his siblings.

Taking off into the night, his spirit lifted as his influence from the other's downcast emotions faded away. He enjoyed his closeness and connection with his family, but during stressful times it was often helpful for him to slip away for a break from the turmoil and to allow him a chance to experience his own emotions freely. It gave him a much needed rest and left him more equipped to handle the onslaught when he returned.

Swiftly he ran through the darkened forest. Having spent his first century as a vampire coming out only at night and hiding by day, he still felt freer and more liberated during the dark hours. His lungs expanded, pulling in his first deep breath since walking into that filthy place where they had found Bella. Jasper let his senses range out fully while his mind replayed the past few hours.

Bella. Already he felt an attachment to her. Although like his adopted brother, he rarely interacted with those outside his family, it was easier for him to do so when he chose to because of his abilities. He tried to decide what drew him to the girl. He could sense Edward's feelings almost immediately when they found her in that disgusting room. Even Edward was surprised by such abrupt intensity. They all had felt compassion and distress for the girl, but Edward's feelings went past that.

Now that Jasper was far enough away from him to positively separate their feelings, he could more accurately feel their differences. Edward's feelings ran deep already, probably deeper than even he was aware of. Jasper marveled at the instincts Bella had instigated at first site in his reticent brother. If not for the situation, he would almost have thought love at first site. No one knew better than him that it existed. For most, it took time to recognize the emotions they experienced and to trust in them enough to let them flow freely. With his special abilities, emotions were an open book to him, and the only trouble he occasionally had was letting those of others influence his own. Before he met Alice, he hadn't understood completely. Now after decades of living with his own perfect mate and two other perfectly matched couples, it was easy to recognize the signs. Edward was on his way there and didn't even know it. How that would work with the girl being human still, and how it would affect Edward if she didn't pull through was something he was afraid to consider. Edward would be devastated without ever knowing why.

He thought on to the rest of the family's reactions to Bella. Carlisle and Esme responded exactly as he expected. They took one look at her prostrate form in Edward's arms and practically already had a third daughter. Carlisle's concern for her well being had settled before Jasper left, so he knew without asking that her condition was better than they had feared. As he'd passed the room Esme had chosen for Bella and was already preparing for her - the one next to Edward's - he could feel her maternal instincts reaching out. Their infinite love and compassion was astounding to say the least. Of course they would never force her to be part of their family, it wasn't their way; but if she chose to stay in their lives, she would be welcomed with open arms, human or not.

Alice with her pure heart and unclouded vision of life had felt such heartbreak at the girl's pain. She loved unconditionally and was a light unto herself, wanting only to share that feeling with everyone around her. When she left occasionally for a few days in New York, Milan, Paris or whatever other fashion extravaganza she wanted to attend, he felt hollow without her, his need for her warmth of spirit almost as desperate and insistent as his need for blood to survive. Her feelings when they brought Bella home were of absolute confidence and resolve. He was sure she expected no less than Bella's complete recovery and happiness. He only hoped she would be able to accept it if things didn't go her way. On the other hand – Alice's gift meant she was very rarely wrong. It didn't pay to bet against her, especially when she was as determined as he had felt earlier.

Emmett's feelings were much more basic and straightforward, just like Emmett himself. When they arrived at the house he had been excited - no doubt wanting to share with Edward and himself his exploits with Rose while out hunting. Jasper rolled his eyes internally at that thought; honestly Emmett really was so predictable – but when he had seen the girl and afterward heard her story, his protective instincts had kicked in full force. Emmett was much more compassionate than anyone but Jasper would have given him credit for. In his human life he had been part of a large family and his loyalty to that unit had not been lost when he was given immortality; instead it had been heightened and transferred to those in his new life. To his family he was a teddy bear, to any threat he was a very irritable Grizzly.

When Jasper's thoughts turned to Rosalie, he winced inwardly. Of all his family this would be the hardest for her. Not because of her control – Rosalie had a more spotless record than all but Carlisle – no, this would be difficult for her because it would remind her so much of her own experiences. Rosalie often came across to those who didn't know her as selfish, shallow and vain but that was only because she hid behind those facades. Rosalie was more private than any of the other members of their family and depended on her reputation as an ice queen to keep her safe from outsiders. Of course she was vain, her entire human existence had centered around how beautiful she was, but there was much more there. Only he and possibly Edward really knew what she struggled with, and then only because of their special talents. He'd been careful to keep her secrets as much as possible. Bella's invasion into their lives was going to hurt her and knowing Rose, she would lash out in fear of the memories it would bring back.

Jasper slowed his swift pace to begin hunting. He still hadn't unlocked the mystery of how Bella had so quickly engaged the interest and concern of his family. She'd only been with them for mere hours and hadn't even been conscious. She was a puzzle in more ways than one. Whatever happened though, they would deal with the consequences and move on. With that last thought, he cleared his mind and gave himself over to the hunt.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I really do have the worst luck with computers! After I got the replacement cord for my laptop, I discovered the battery refuses to charge any longer. Grrr. So I broke down and ordered a brand new Toshiba laptop (I'd been wanting one anyway). It arrived Friday, worked perfectly for 24 hours, and then on Saturday for no reason at all the cord shorted out and refused to charge any longer. I then had to go buy a new universal cord, so that I can continue to use the new laptop until Toshiba sends me the replacement cord (thank god for warranties). Honestly, do I have some sort of powercord curse??? This is my FIFTH powercord for a laptop in less than 3 years!!! **

**So anyway, if all goes well, I plan to write out at least Chapter 4 while on vacation this coming week. I have 2 long flights each way and a 6 hour layover in JFK on the way back (blech!). At least it's plenty of time for writing and I'm hoping to have a couple chapters to post when I get back. **

**Thanks again everyone for the encouraging reviews! I appreciate them so much!!! Please continue to add your thoughts, it really does inspire me to write more sooner. **

**Thanks also to my Beta Aprilbaby19!**

**As we all know, only Stephanie Meyer owns the twilight copyrights, she just lets us play with her characters. Thank you!!! **

**Chapter 3: **

When Jasper left, Edward slid into his vacated chair to continue their search for information on the girl in the next room. He listened to Carlisle administer the vital fluids and could tell the instant the needle was inserted into her arm to withdraw a sample; the scent of her blood was released and the burn in the back of his throat increased. Luckily the scent of her was mostly confined to the room she was in and Carlisle's expertise kept the blood exposure to a minimum. Had he been in the same room as them, he doubted his control would have been as strong. Carlisle's restraint never ceased to amaze him.

Down the hall, Esme and Alice's thoughts were of Bella's deplorable treatment and what they could do for her when she awoke. Their complete confidence in Carlisle's medical abilities was unwavering. Alice continued to search ahead for clues as to when Bella would awaken, thus far nothing they had chosen to do bringing her out of her current state. To Alice though, this simply meant they hadn't decided on the correct course of action so far. To her, the world was a unique blend of unchanging destiny and unlimited possibilities.

Their gentle dialogue over furniture, clothing and other needs was soothing in the back of Edward's mind as he continued flipping through the details of missing children. Alice loved any excuse for another shopping adventure and already intended to set out shortly for Seattle to get all they would need. From the list going in her head, she'd need to hire a delivery truck to bring it all back with her. How much could one small human girl really use?

"Esme, Alice." Carlisle's voice rang calmly through the house. "As soon as she's finished with these fluids, I'd like to get her cleaned up a bit. I imagine she'll be much more comfortable after a warm bath." Alice immediately set to work with preparations in her large bathroom. When the fluid bag was drained, Carlisle carefully removed the needle taking extra care to release as little blood as possible. He dropped the needle into a small metal bowl, and followed by wiping the area with an alcohol sterilization pad. When he was finished, he dropped it in with the needle and poured a bit more alcohol in the bowl before lighting a match and dropping it in. The traces of blood removed by the burning alcohol, he stood aside as Alice leaned over and gently lifted the slight girl in her arms, and joined Esme who was already waiting in the bathroom.

Working together, the two quickly divested Bella of her slip and lowered her carefully into the warm bath, mindful of her injured ankle and propping it up with fresh ice on the edge of the tub. While Alice held her upright, Esme carefully washed over every inch of the girl, her eyes sparkling with tears she could never shed at the condition of Bella's body. Bruises in various stages of healing were present all over in shades of purple, blue, green and sickly yellow.

Esme gently massaged Bella's scalp with shampoo followed by conditioner, wrapping up her nearly waist length tresses in a towel. Alice lifted her carefully and together they softly dried her body. "What should we dress her in?" Esme asked Alice.

"I think Rose will be the closest in size. She has that satin nightgown from the theme day at school a few months ago." Both were sure Rosalie wouldn't mind them borrowing the gown; she'd only bought it to wear to school on pajama day during spirit week. In such a small town, they blended in better by following the crowd and at Forks High, everyone participated in spirit week's theme days. Of course Rose had refused to go in the customary flannel pants and a flirty tank top like most of the girls. Instead, she had arrived in a full length red satin nightgown direct from the Paris runways that had left nearly the entire male population of the school – students and teachers alike – completely incoherent.

Esme returned with the gown and together they slipped it over Bella's prostrate form. Her undernourished body in no way filled out the gown like Rosalie had, but with her skin flushed from the bath, Bella's natural beauty was apparent. Alice carried her back to the bed and set her down gently, holding her torso up so Esme could carefully comb the tangles from her damp hair. In the soft light of the room, Bella's mahogany locks gleamed. Both women were stunned at Bella's appearance now that she was clean. Even with her obvious injuries and poor health, she was a beautiful girl. They tucked her under the covers of the bed and turned out the light, leaving her to rest as comfortably as possible while the family met below to discuss what would take place next.

Jasper returned just as Alice and Esme descended the stairs to join the rest of the family in the kitchen. Rose and Emmett had arrived a few minutes before carrying several bags of assorted human foods which they proceeded to unload into various cabinets. Edward came in a moment later with a few papers in his hand. "I think I may have found our mystery girl's identity." The family quickly gathered around several pages he set on the counter.

"Isabella Swan. Where have I heard that name before?" Carlisle questioned.

"If I'm right and she is Isabella Swan, which I think I am, she's the daughter of former Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan. Apparently about 4 years ago he took his family out camping and the bodies of he and his wife were found brutally murdered at their campsite out in the woods. Bella was supposed to have been with them, but no traces of her were ever found."

"I remember hearing about that around the hospital when we moved back here. Does she have any other family?"

"There's no surviving family listed, but get this. If found, her legal guardian is Billy Black."

"Billy Black, the Quileute elder?" Carlisle questioned, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yes. Apparently his family was close friends with the Swans. He has a son Jacob about her age."

"Hmmm, that's interesting that she'd belong to them. We'll have to see how much she remembers. If they find out we have her in her current state, it could become a very uncomfortable situation." Carlisle quickly read through the rest of the report, noting she was 17 years old, had no known food allergies, and was allergic to penicillin.

"Well, I guess now we know they kept her real name. Carlisle have you had any further thoughts about what we can do to bring her back around?" Jasper asked.

"Have you tried dumping cold water on her face? I've seen that in a lot of movies and TV shows and they always wake right up." Emmett suggested with a grin.

"Shut up Emmett" Edward rebuked with no real enthusiasm. It was obvious he was joking.

"Just trying to be helpful!" he laughed back

Carlisle rolled his eyes and addressed Jasper "Like I mentioned before, my first guess is she's just retreated too far into herself to respond. Can you feel her now?"

"Yes. She's still drowning in fear, pain and hopelessness. There's absolutely nothing positive coming from her." Jasper grimaced as he actively sought the girl out in the room above. Her emotions were definitely unpleasant for him to bear and brought his previously good mood down a few notches. "Is it alright if I try and calm her down a bit?" he asked. Carlisle considered for a moment.

"Yes, actually that may be a good idea. Take it slow to start with though. Adjusting her mood too quickly right now could be a shock to her system." Jasper nodded and carefully felt into Bella's emotions, seeking to sooth. He was careful to only do so very little to start, barely noticeable in its change.

"Well, I guess all we can do for the moment is let her rest. I'll plan to give her some more fluids in a few hours once she's absorbed the ones I just gave her" Carlisle said.

"I'm headed to Seattle; I want to get there as soon as the stores open for the day. There's so much to pick up for her! Esme, Rose, do you want to join me?" Alice asked brightly.

"I'm going to stay here; I want to tune up the Mercedes. It's been running a little rough the last few days." Rosalie answered. "Emmett, care to assist?" From the look on Emmett's face it was obvious tuning up the car wasn't the only activity they had planned.

Edward grimaced at the images floating through their minds as they walked out the door.

"She is going to be so pissed at the dents he leaves on the hood of her BMW" Alice snickered. Edward and Jasper had matching smirks on their faces as they headed off to their own pursuits for the coming day. After kissing their respective husbands, Esme and Alice followed Emmett and Rosalie to the garage to get Alice's car before the two in front of them could start anything they wouldn't want to walk in on. Carlisle headed back to check on Bella again.

He found her just as Alice and Esme had left her, amazed at the transformation a bath could bring. She really was a very pretty girl. He checked the swelling in her ankle and decided a plaster cast wouldn't be necessary, instead wrapping it carefully with a support bandage. As he worked, he thought about the connection to the Quileute's and what it could mean for their peaceful treaty. If they found her as she was, it was unlikely his family would be able to remain in the area. The Quileute's would immediately assume his family was at fault for Bella's injuries and probably her parents deaths as well. They would attack at once, intending to rescue her. Sighing, he was once again resigned to simply wait until Bella awoke to decide what to do next. He left the room, closing the door softly behind him and went to his study to look over some files for his shift at the hospital later on.

Jasper retreated to his own study while Edward went to his room, both with plans to follow their own interests and wait for progress from Bella. As he sat down on the comfortable couch and picked up the book he'd been reading lately, he carefully monitored Bella's current state of emotion. Little by little he increased the soothing and tranquil feelings, straining to go as slowly as possible. He sat back to read and keep a constant stream of comfort moving towards her.

A few hours later, Carlisle knocked on the door to Jasper's study. There was no need, Jasper could clearly hear him from anywhere in the house, but they all tried to give each other as much respect and privacy as they could, and knocking on closed doors before entering was one of the ways they did so.

"Come in," Jasper responded.

"How is she feeling now?" Carlisle asked as he stepped into the room.

"Better I think. There's less discomfort, and she's more settled. I think the fluids helped. I haven't influenced anything happy in her yet, I've just been trying to soothe her and calm her fears to a more manageable level."

"Excellent. I think that's probably the best course of action for now. Let me know if there are any significant changes or you think she might be regaining consciousness. I'm going to give her some more fluids now. I don't need to be at the hospital until this afternoon."

Jasper nodded. He headed downstairs to the kitchen while Carlisle administered the IV and held his breath, feeling he could handle being in the house with her, but if by some chance he got a whiff of her blood, wasn't sure his control would hold. From the window he watched Emmett in the driveway where he was carefully pressing the dents out of the hood of Rosalie's red BMW while she supervised with a cross expression on her face. He laughed quietly and grinned when both looked up at him, Emmett with a sheepish expression and Rosalie with a scowl. Upstairs he could here Edward's laughter at whatever they were thinking.

When he heard Carlisle finish with Bella, he returned to his study and picked up his book, continuing to monitor her for changes. There was some relief that she felt from the fluids, and Jasper wondered if Carlisle had added some mild pain killers to it as well. For now all they could do to help her was to continue as they were. If there was one thing every vampire learned in their never ending existence, it was patience.

It was a few hours later that a sudden shift in Bella's emotions and a loud thump from the room next door had him leaping for the door. Edward and Carlisle right behind him, they flew into the room in shock to see Bella cowering under a table in the corner. She looked at them franticly before tucking her head under her arms and curling up in as tight a ball as possible. Her terror was almost incapacitating as it shook her frame and it took a moment for him to regain enough sense to start trying to calm her down.

***************

Emptiness. Complete darkness. Bella backed away as far as she could from her conscious mind. For so long she'd been treated as a worthless stupid animal that finally she'd begun to believe them. It was easier to endure if she didn't think about her memories. She didn't think about friends or school or her family. Her parents were the most painful of all. No. She felt; she couldn't help but feel and react. But she never let herself form coherent thoughts any longer. She was an animal, reacting purely on instinct. Fear, hunger, pain, misery. These were things she knew. Things she let take over. Occasionally there had been small pleasures… an unexpected favorite food, a pleasing brush of her hair to get rid of those uncomfortable snarls.

At first the punishments had come often, but so had the praise. It didn't take her long to discover what they wanted: a pet. To them, she was nothing more than a stupid inferior animal. She was never to speak, never to do anything without a command. It had been like an obedience class to start with. But slowly, the novelty wore off. She had no clue why she was left alive. It wasn't like they were against killing. They'd never fed in her presence, but she knew what they were. What they did.

Over time, the treats came less often, the occasional praise being replaced with punishments for things she didn't understand. Treating her more and more like an object. She hadn't thought it could get worse than to be a pet. She was stuffed into a large crate each time they decided to move. She was chained each time in whatever residence they took up for a few days or weeks. Time began to blend in on itself. She was aware less and less of the past, only the present. She began to give up on ever being rescued. Finally she gave up entirely. She stopped eating until they force fed her. Swallowing down only to choke half of whatever she'd eaten back up. She only drank when she couldn't bear it any longer, barely wetting her lips in the stale water left in front of her.

In this last place she found the darkness. She dove into it, retreating from the loud pulsing music below her, from the pain, from the loss. She turned inward and gave up the last shred of herself. No conscious thoughts entered her mind. She had no concept of time or of her surroundings. At one point the air shifted and she felt as if she were floating, then the darkness again. There was a brief pain in her arm, then warmth around her body. Softness enveloped her. Finally! It must be nearly over! Almost imperceptibly, she felt her misery lessen. It slowly grew to comfort her. The pain and fear were still there, but now it wasn't as hopeless. Another small prick in her arm, but quickly it was gone. The ache in her body was lessening. Slowly she was aware of light behind her closed eyes. Growing to a soft glow while the warmth spread through, dulling her pain.

She opened her eyes and confusion spread through her. She blinked, clearing her vision. She was warm. It was soft underneath her. Sudden awareness of where she was lying had panic racing through her system. Bed! Punishment! Floor! Quickly reacting she dove off the bed, falling clumsily when her body refused to respond properly. A violent pain in her ankle had her crying out softly when it hit the leg of a table next to the bed. She cowered underneath the table, pressing herself as far back in the corner as she could. They would smell her on the sheets! They would know!

When the door flew open she whimpered and buried her head under her arms, cowering in the corner under the table. Shaking violently with the fear of the punishment she was about to endure. Wishing for the darkness again. But no pain came. Trembling, her damp eyes looked up into three pairs of wide golden eyes.

************

Carlisle placed a hand on Jasper's shoulder, helping to ground him and giving him comfort to call upon. Next to him, Edward's emotions mirrored his own. What kind of abuse could elicit this kind of response so immediately?

Speaking low enough that she wouldn't hear even from just a few feet away, Jasper asked Carlisle "What should we do?"

"Bella" Carlisle spoke softly as he stepped forward to kneel a few steps in front of her. "Bella, my name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. These are my sons Jasper and Edward. They found you and brought you here for help. I promise, you are completely safe, no one is going to hurt you here." Speaking in low soothing tones, combined with Jasper's help, Bella's shivering slowed. Wet eyes turned to pear up at them over her arm. A few strands of hair fell across her cheek partially covering one eye. Tears continued to fall silently.

"Bella, do you understand what I'm saying to you" Carlisle asked, still speaking softly so as not to frighten her. "You're safe here, no one is going to hurt you, we only want to help."

There was no response from Bella. She didn't move except to blink and stare at them with wide eyes. Carlisle looked back to Jasper and Edward for a sign of her current state. "I'm still not getting anything at all from her" Edward replied quietly with a frustrated look.

Carlisle's eyebrows furrowed at the implications of that and looked to Jasper for his input. "I'm feeling distrust, fear, confusion, pain, panic… nothing to make me think she really understands what you're saying. It's similar to the reaction someone would have if you were speaking a foreign language."

Carlisle turned back to Bella and slowly reached a hand out to her. She immediately flinched away, trying without success to push deeper into the corner of the wall. Carlisle paused and spoke in soothing tones "Bella". Her eyes met his again.

"That she seems to recognize" Jasper told him quietly. "She knows her name."

"Bella" Carlisle tried again. She continued to stare at him with wide wet eyes, but made no move to come any closer to where he kneeled in front of the table. All three waited calmly while Bella's breathing slowed and the tears dried on her cheeks. They were careful not to make any sudden movements, but didn't hold so still as to alarm her. Still, after nearly 15 minutes went by, she had barely moved, only shifting her leg slightly. It was obvious her ankle was paining her, and the bruises had to be as well.

So slowly that it wouldn't have been perceptible to a human, Bella's form began to relax. Not in comfort, Jasper noted, but in exhaustion. Her weakened body was fighting to stay conscious when all it really wanted was to go back into a healing sleep. Slowly her eyes drooped. Speaking again to Carlisle in low tones so she wouldn't hear, he asked what to do. "She's exhausted. She's struggling to stay awake. I can easily put her under if you think that will help. I don't feel any changes that make me think she's going to come out on her own."

Carlisle nodded reluctantly and Jasper pushed heavy waves of calm and tranquility towards her. Carlisle stepped back slowly. Bit by bit, Bella's frame relaxed, her eyes closed, and her breathing evened out.

Edward, silently observing up until now, stepped forward and knelt down in front of the table. He reached under and carefully scooped Bella up, placing her gently back in the bed and tucking the covers over her slight frame.

"Well that went slightly worse than I'd hoped" Carlisle said quietly. Let's leave her to rest and try that again next time. If she wakes up again, I think it would be best to give her a few minutes to take in her surroundings and then for just one of us to come in. She may feel less threatened that way. Let's also bring some food up when she does. If we offer her something it may break down a few barriers and I want to get something solid into her soon. I have a feeling though she's going to need significant recovery time and a lot of patience from us. Warn Emmett he is not to approach her. His size alone could probably send her into shock right now." All three slowly exited the room, Edward pausing at the door to look back. The look in her eyes had been heartbreaking, but there was something more.

He'd seen how she looked after her bath in the minds of Alice and his parents so he hadn't been taken completely off guard when he'd come into the room. She was beautiful. Not the eternal beauty of the females in his family. He could appreciate their beauty but it didn't draw him in. Didn't fascinate him. Didn't call to him. This girl did. She appealed to something inside him beside's the monster. It left him confused, and frustrated. He didn't know her, didn't know much of anything about her, and she'd been severely traumatized. Who knew if she'd ever even fully recover. Why would these feelings be coming to him now? And for, of all people, a human girl.

_Give her a few days to acclimate to us Edward. You saw her panic too. We'll bring her around. _Jasper's thoughts turned him from his own. Jasper gave him a small smile before reentering his study. Softly Edward closed the door behind him as he left, leaving a part of himself inside with her. What part he didn't know yet. But already he felt less than whole away from her. Turning he walked back to his bedroom and lay down on his couch, listening to the soft but steady heartbeat down the hall. _Bella._

**Ending Note: Please review, it really does fuel me to write more sooner! I didn't understand that from others until I started to write one of my own. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**** Hi everyone! I have to SINCERELY apologize for how long it's taken to get this chapter up. A variety of things came up other than it just being a plain tough chapter to write. I wanted to make absolutely certain it came across the way I want it to and stays with my planned storyline. I had this rough draft done last weekend, but unfortunately both of my usual betas are unavailable, and although I've found a temporary one for this chapter, I just couldn't wait any longer. As such, when I do hear back from one of them this chapter may change if they see any major issues I didn't catch myself. I will update the story on twilighted(dot)net after I hear from them. **

**I really hope to have the next chapter up much faster, but I'm not sure what my writing schedule will be like for a while. My job has dropped my hours (good for time, bad for bills), and I may have to do some of my other work/hobby on the side to make up for my income if I get behind. I'm also entering my busy time for my other major hobby and our national competition is coming up at the end of June. I'm doing a lot to prepare for it, including several local and regional competitions to be sure all my entries are qualified. Rest assured though, I definitely intend to continue with this story for quite a long time, it just may be slow going for a while. I hope you'll stick with me! **

**Last but not least, HUGE thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! I really love to hear what you thing about the story and any questions or suggestions you have rolling around in your head after each chapter. Each time I had difficulty with this chapter I went back and read a bunch of reviews to help inspire me again. It really does help me a lot!!**

**Chapter 4:**

Gold eyes, not red.

Confusion.

Fear.

"Bella"

Her name came from right in front of her. She trembled, waiting for the expected blows. In that one word she couldn't pick up on his mood. She waited, would the punishment be quick or drawn out.

He spoke again. She recognized her name, but the rest of the words were let go. She knew better than to pay attention to the words. It was the tone and the body language that told her what she really needed to know. The words were soft, soothing. Calm seeping over her warred with the panic. Somehow it felt like it came from outside and rolled over her rather than building inside. She wanted desperately to run, to hide, but knew it was useless to try. There was no running and hiding. They could stop her before she moved more than an inch. Then there would be more punishment.

She carefully peered over her arm, unable to stop the tears from flowing. She was distrustful of what soft soothing words meant. Sometimes** She** had spoken softly. The results were never the same. Occasionally a treat, other times… other times the worst things had happened.

The one in front of her spoke again. He was kneeling just a few feet away. She watched all three, waiting for a sign of what was to come. They spoke to each other, their musical voices velvety and quiet. The one in front of her appeared to be the dominant. The two others stayed several paces behind him, their body language showing him respect. All three were incomparably beautiful. That was what made them the most dangerous. What alerted her to what they were.

The older one turned back to her and reached a hand towards her. She flinched violently, and fear kicked in, waiting for the pain that always followed her flinching.

"Bella."

She looked up again and the vampire in front of her made no further moves. They weren't motionless like the others had been when they toyed with her. She didn't move, unsure what to do. She had no memory of how she came to be in this new room. Her masters had never left her alone with others of their kind before, but any time others had been around, things had always been worse for her. She had no idea what to expect without her masters there. She waited, tears drying on her cheeks to itchy trails of salt. Her ankle throbbed, and she shifted it carefully. She ached all over. Still she waited.

Little by little exhaustion crept over her. She wanted to fall back into the darkness. It had been warm and safe there. No pain. She fought it back, uncertainty willing her to stay awake. Gradually the edges of her vision blurred. She fought it as the feelings came stronger and faster, waves of tranquility washing over her before finally she gave up and let them pull her under. The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was a blur of golden eyes and bronze hair.

********

Edward lay on his couch listening to the steady heartbeat down the hall as he had for most of the day. The fact that he still couldn't hear any of her thoughts both disturbed and mystified him. Those of his siblings however, floated around him. Jasper was concerned for her, but was reconciled to whatever happened. Alice had been confident from the moment they found Bella that she was supposed to be with them, and since Jasper would do anything for Alice, he was resigned that a human would be living in the house for the time being and was both eager and apprehensive to test his control so constantly. Edward had followed along as he kept a soothing flow of emotion going towards her for most of the afternoon and was hoping she would reawaken again soon.

Downstairs, Emmet's thoughts were grossly impatient – as Emmett always was – to meet the newest addition to their family, even if her stay ended up only temporary. His disgust at her horrible treatment had his thoughts entertaining the idea of hunting down the vampires that had held her captive and some of his ideas were admittedly appealing to Edward. They had firmly warned Emmett to stay well out of Bella's line of sight until she was more acclimated and they had a better idea of her mental status. Judging by her initial reaction, she was likely to have a panic attack when she first saw Emmett, who was far more intimidating than any of them.

Rosalie's thoughts were the hardest for Edward to hear. They were conflicted; seeing Bella's abuse reminding her of her own so long ago. She knew the pain and fear Bella was feeling and wished it on no one. She battled internally between wanting all reminders of that pain gone and what might possibly help Bella most. The struggle was making her furious with Edward and his siblings for putting her in the position to feel such turmoil. She was currently racking her brain for alternatives to keeping Bella in the house.

"Give it up Rose. No matter what other options would normally be available for a human in her situation, she knows about our kind," he spoke, knowing she could hear him in the living room where she was watching TV with Emmett. "We can't dump her anywhere without knowing she can keep that to herself. It will only put us all in danger of exposure and I **know** you don't want to move again anytime soon." Rosalie's irritation at his remarks was clear.

_She's just as much of a threat here with us._ Her thoughts swam through his mind._ Why can't we just dump her in a mental institution? They won't believe anything she says and she'll be safe and cared for. _

__"No." He couldn't explain why, but he wanted Bella near him and he felt responsible for her now. Until he knew she would be okay, he was keeping her close by and safe.

Before she could speak the scathing retort forming in her mind, a shift in Jasper's attention down the hall and a sudden thump just like the last time announced Bella was awake again. The heartbeat down the hall was racing in panic and he worried she would cause herself further harm. He met Jasper in the hallway in front of his room in an instant. Carlisle had gone over his suggestions for the next time she woke before he left for the hospital and they had come up with a plan. Jasper stayed in the hall in front of the door, seeking to sooth and calm Bella before either of them would enter the room. Edward went downstairs to quickly prepare something for her to eat. Carlisle had suggested soup and some crackers and sliced fruit to start, not knowing how long it had been since her last meal and how much her stomach could handle at once.

Edward had not had to prepare food in his entire life. He'd been born in a time when it was the women's place to be in the kitchen, not a man's and since being turned obviously had no need for food at all. The kitchens in their homes had always been stocked only to keep up their human pretenses.

Carlisle had explained to heat the broth to a warm temperature, and that instructions were on the label. He pulled a can of soup out of the cupboard from where Rosalie had placed it this morning and stared at it with trepidation. Hearing Rose approach from the living room he turned when she leaned against the doorframe and smirked at him. "Having trouble?" she asked.

He glared back at her. "I suppose you know better than I do how to prepare this," he snapped.

"As a matter of fact I do. Don't forget, besides being a woman, and being taught when I was a human how to prepare food, there was also that one semester of Home Economics I couldn't get out of in the seventies."

Edward didn't need his perfect memory to recall her displeasure with the graduation requirements for one of the high schools they had attended. It had held on to the beliefs that every proper young lady should know how to make a complete meal and refused to let Carlisle and Esme excuse Rose and Alice from the class. It was the only time Rose had ever struggled to maintain a perfect grade and the entire family had to suffer her displeasure for the entire term.

"You have to open the can and heat the soup in a pan. There are instructions on the back of the label." Edward turned the can and read the instructions.

"It says here you can also pour into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 3 minutes on medium power." Both turned to look at the never used appliance above the stove. They had every modern convenience of a typical kitchen to keep up appearances, but none of them had ever had a need to use it. He knew Rosalie could instruct him on how to work the stove, but was aware the temperature of the soup would be more difficult to control and the microwave offered a safer bet for not burning Bella.

"Do you know how to work it?" she asked smugly. She was enjoying his uncertainty.

"No, but how hard can it really be?" He removed the can opener from a drawer and looked between it and the can, his brows furrowing as he worked out how to use the one to open the other. Rosalie's amusement only served to irritate him further. Seeing in her thoughts what to do, he quickly had the can opened and poured the contents into a pristine soup bowl he took down from one of the cabinets, wrinkling his nose at the scent. Human food really smelled vile. Placing the bowl in the microwave, he typed in 3 minutes and pressed start. When it immediately lit up and hummed, turning the soup to heat it evenly, he gave Rosalie a cocky grin which she answered with a glare.

While the contents heated, he reached up into another cupboard and took down a box of crackers and placed a handful on a plate. Next, he took an apple from the bowl on the counter and sliced it quickly, placing the slices next to the crackers on the plate. Rosalie continued to watch him from her position in the doorway, grimacing when the smell of the soup became stronger as it heated. He waited for it to finish, having completed the other tasks at his natural speed. Thinking of that, he realized they would have to get used to slowing themselves down in the house as much as they did in public until Bella was used to them. Hopefully that wouldn't be too long. Their house was the one place his family had where they could be themselves and not hide their abilities.

"Ugh! That smells awful! I can't imagine anyone wanting to eat that, even a human," Rosalie grumbled. When the timer beeped, he removed the bowl and placed it on the plate. A light steam rose from the bowl, filling the kitchen with the aroma of the chicken noodle soup. Rosalie made a gagging sound that was matched by one from Emmet in the living room.

"Eww! What reeks?" he called out.

Once the plate was ready, and ignoring the continued complaints of the smell from Rosalie, Edward grabbed a spoon and sped up the stairs. He'd been able to hear both Bella's sporadic movements and Jasper's thoughts while he'd been downstairs. Her heartbeat had slowed, but was still at an above normal rate. From the sound, she was once again hiding under the table. He was still frustrated at his inability to hear her thoughts. He needed to know what to do to help her. Rosalie had followed him upstairs and the three stood outside the door to Alice and Jasper's room.

"Who should go in?" Jasper asked.

"I will," Edward responded. He was anxious to form a temporary bond so he could try to solve the grating problem of her mental silence. The voice in his head that told him there was more there than curiosity was studiously ignored. Slowly, so as not to alarm her, he opened the door and stepped into the room, shutting it softly behind him. Jasper and Rosalie stayed in the hallway, Jasper trying to send as much calm and comfort to her as possible without putting her back to sleep. He was right, Edward thought as he crossed the room one step at a time. She was once again trembling under the table. Her eyes welled up with tears when she saw him and she curled into a tighter ball. A slight whimper was the only sound she made. Kneeling in front of the table he spoke softly.

"Bella." There was no response. "Bella," he tried again. "I brought you something to eat. You must be hungry; you've been asleep a long time." When she still gave no response he grew frustrated, though not allowing anything but patience show on his face.

Still standing outside the door, Jasper's thoughts came to him. _Edward she's really stressed with you near her. Try setting the food down within reach and give her some space. _

Edward carefully set the plate down less than an arm's length away from her and stepped back near the closed door. After a few moments, Bella's head turned cautiously and her eyes, wide with fear, met his own. His long dead heart ached at how afraid she was. Slowly, he sat down on the floor across the room, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. They sat there, neither moving, for several minutes as the tears once again dried on her cheeks. Her gaze was less startled, but no less scared. When he gestured to the food, she flinched violently and cringed, obviously expecting punishment of some sort. Fresh anger at her tormenters washed through him.

Edward waited, but she made no move towards the offering in front of her. Instead, she gazed at it for a moment before slowly turning her face into the corner and, laying her head on her curled up arm, sighed lightly then was still. Jasper's thoughts recognized indecision and hunger coming from her, followed by despair and finally resolve. _Edward, she's fighting her hunger_, he noted, confused at her actions.

Edward was confused himself and, once again, he wished fervently for the answer to Bella's mental silence. They needed to know what to do to help her recover. To do that effectively he needed to know what she was afraid of, what she needed, what she wanted. If Jasper was right and she was fighting her hunger intentionally, what did that mean? Was she afraid of punishment if she ate? Did she not like the food he'd brought up? Or was there some deeper reason? Question after question bombarded him, with no answers in sight.

They sat in silence and he continued to observe her. Her body was so thin, but he was enthralled by her beauty. How he didn't recognize it immediately surprised him, but when he thought back to the conditions she was left in, it wasn't as unexpected. Quickly he diverted his thoughts and stifled the intense rage the images brought on. He could only thank Alice's visions for finding her. Who knew how much longer she could have survived in such a state.

As his thoughts brought up Alice, he wondered why he hadn't heard from her at all today. It was surprising that she hadn't warned them when Bella would awaken or given them any idea of what to expect for her reactions. It was very unlike Alice to just leave things to chance. Alice always checked every option she could think of. Just as he was thinking of calling her for advice on what actions to take next, his phone vibrated with a text.

_I've been searching all day. Her choices and reactions are instinct – I can't see anything more than a few seconds in advance. Be home in 45m. _

He read the text and put the phone back in his pocket. Great. His gift was apparently useless with Bella, and now Alice's gift was severely limited. But Jasper's gift was still fully working. At least he thought so.

"Jazz?" he spoke again, this time speaking low enough that Bella would likely only hear a low hum. "Are you having any problems sensing or influencing her?"

_Not that I've noticed, why? _He responded mentally.

"Alice sent me a text. She hasn't been giving us any warnings about Bella because she can't see more than a few seconds in advance. She thinks she's reacting purely on instinct." Jasper mulled the idea over in his head.

"That does make sense. You still can't hear anything from her?"

"No. Nothing," Edward answered, following Jasper's thoughts as he reviewed what they knew. Jasper had two advanced degrees in psychology along with those in history, literature, and a few other pursuits. His gift gave him perfect insight and the theory he was forming now in regards to Bella's blocking of his and Alice's talents left him even more worried about the effects Bella was suffering from her imprisonment.

Across the room Bella shifted, her ankle apparently still giving her some discomfort with the awkward position she was in. He also noticed her glance across the room towards the open door into the bathroom. Edward debated what to do for a brief second before deciding to try and approach her again. She was obviously not going to come out from under the table on her own. As he stood, he was careful to make small noises so she wouldn't be startled.

Jasper's thoughts followed the sounds he was making. _What are you doing? Her anxiety level is rising again._

"She's uncomfortable in her position and I think she needs to relieve herself. Any ideas how to communicate with her yet?" Edward asked. He'd remained across the room trying to decide how to proceed.

_I hate to say this, but right now she's acting like a scared animal… we may have to resort to treating her like one for her to understand. _

"I will **not** treat her like an animal, Jasper." Edward spoke vehemently, but quietly.

_People communicate with animals through body language all the time Edward. All I'm saying is she doesn't appear capable of responding to verbal communication at this time, so what's left is physical. _

"Fine! What exactly do you want me to do" Edward said scathingly, "Put a leash on and lead her where I want her?"

_Stop being a jackass. Right now she sees all of us as a threat. Her natural instincts, if that's what she's running on, tell her to move away from a perceived threat. So you need to put yourself in the position that she moves away from you in the direction you want her to go. _

Grudgingly, Edward admitted to himself that Jasper's reasoning made some sense, but it still disgusted him to treat Bella as an animal. He took in their positions in the large room. Bella was under the table in the corner of the right hand side of the room, a few steps away from the closed double doors to Alice's extensive closet. The door he stood by was in the center of the wall across from her, directly across from the large canopy bed, and Alice's extraordinarily large bathroom was on the left hand side of the room. For lack of a better description, he would have to "herd" her around the bed and across the room to the bathroom. Once there, he had no idea how to communicate she was allowed to use the facilities. The idea rankled, but he may have to ask for Rosalie's help if Bella didn't get the idea on her own.

Carefully, he stepped around the bed and up to the wall between the bed and the table Bella continued to cower under. She had kept her eyes on him since he stood, but he was pleased to note that she didn't flinch at each step forward he made. She grew noticeably tenser, but her eyes stayed dry as well. He hoped this was progress and she was beginning to understand that they would not hurt her in any way.

Once he was next to the wall between her and the bed he paused to ask Jasper how to proceed. "How exactly do I get her to move away from me without her thinking I'm attacking her?"

_Body Language is what she's reading. Speak to her what you want at the same time as you try and direct her to do so. _Edward saw the mental picture Jasper drew of how to angle his body without appearing as if he were poised to attack and to slowly move forward allowing her space to retreat.

"Bella." He spoke to her softly. "Bella, would you like to use the bathroom? It's right over there." He said and pointed to the open door across the room. Her eyes followed his movements, but she didn't move from her current position. Edward followed Jasper's advice and moved next to the table, crouching down to her level. When all she did was curl herself in a tighter ball he was surprised. She had a space to move away from him down the wall, but she wasn't taking the opportunity.

"Jasper, I'm right next to her and she's not moving away." Jasper's thoughts were surprise mingled with possible theories.

_Very slowly try reaching out towards her. You saw how she flinched when Carlisle did. If we have to, I can make her want to flee from you more, but I think that would do more harm in the long term. _

Edward agreed and very slowly reached a hand out towards her. Bella surprised him yet again when, although she flinched slightly at his motion and cringed away, scrunching her eyes closed, she didn't move. When his fingertips gently rested on her shoulder against the wall, he could not only hear her pulse hammering, but now feel it as well through his fingertips. Convulsively he swallowed back the venom pooling in his mouth. The skin of her shoulder was silky smooth, but he inwardly winced at how taught it was against the bones. Her trembling had increased and would have been visible even to human eyes looking at her but she held her position. He knew that his skin to her must feel icy cold and marveled that she hadn't flinched away any further.

Very carefully, he pressed her shoulder away from the wall and spoke softly at the same time. "Bella, please come out from under the table." He was mildly surprised when she complied almost immediately, moving away from the gentle pressure and stepping on her hands and knees out from under the table. As soon as his hand broke contact from her shoulder she froze and waited, tremors of fear shaking her body.

Edward moved a step towards her again, still crouched down to her level and once more put his fingertips lightly against her shoulder guiding her in the direction he wanted her to go. Again, as soon as his fingertips left her shoulder she froze, trembling, waiting for more instruction.

"Jasper." He called out quietly, still loud enough for Bella to hear. "You need to come in here and see this."

Before entering the room, Jasper knocked lightly at the door, hoping to alert Bella that he was entering without alarming her. He gently opened the door and stepped inside, closing it after him. He looked over at Edward and Bella with puzzlement, but didn't advance any further from the door.

_What is it Edward?_

"Watch." Edward once again reached out to Bella's shoulder and carefully urged her to move again. As before, she moved continuously until he removed his fingers and she froze again. Still trembling, her eyes still closed, she waited for further direction.

Jasper's thoughts were as confused as his own trying to think of reasons for her behavior.

"Don't move. She seems okay with you there for the time being," Edward instructed Jasper. Wanting to raise her off her knees, Edward thought about how to do so. He carefully put a knuckle under her chin, and lifted slowly. "Bella, can you stand up please?" Her head rose with his finger but instead of raising her body with it to a standing position, she continued to tilt her head as far back as she could, her back arching. Her eyes remained closed, but a single tear leaked down her cheek.

"Bella, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want you to stand up so you can use the bathroom." he said gently. Still, there was no response that showed him she understood.

He sighed, and looked over at Jasper, silently asking for any ideas. _You can try lifting her up. Either she'll stand, or maybe she'll let you carry her over. _

Edward carefully touched just behind her ear, earning a faint tremor and flinch, then urged her head forward to a more comfortable position for her. He then placed his hand lightly at her elbow and urged her upwards. At first, he thought he was successful, she moved her torso up so she was simply standing on her knees. After that she just raised her arm with his.

He sighed again and grasping her arm, pulled gently upwards. This time however, she did not resist, but did not respond either. He didn't force her, not wanting to hurt her accidentally, but was getting more and more confused by her actions. Edward grasped lightly under both her arms and her eyes flew open as he lifted her to her feet. He set her gently on them, and then released her. She immediately dropped back to her knees, her eyes closed again. Another tear slipped down her cheek.

_We've made progress; she's calming down with us near her. Maybe you shouldn't push her right now. Why don't you try picking her up and carrying her in, then we'll give her a few minutes to herself and see if she will do what she needs to on her own. If she won't we can ask Rose to come in. _

Edward gave Jasper a look at the mention of Rose.

_I know how Rose feels about this, but I don't think she'll do anything to intentionally hurt the girl's recovery. _

Edward grunted his response and bent down to Bella. He gently wiped the tear from her face and her eyes opened for him again. Looking into the dewy depths, he felt a piece of himself falling. More than anything he wanted this girl to understand he meant her no harm.

"Bella, I'm going to pick you up and carry you into the bathroom okay?" She still made no response to anything he spoke. Giving her a chance to react to each movement he made, Edward moved an arm around her and gently lifted her up. He felt how tense she was, and from Jasper how terrified. She was still shaking, and now with the close contact to the skin of his arms, he saw goose bumps rise on her flesh. He turned and walked past Jasper, leaving a comfortable amount of space between them for Bella, and walked into the luxurious bathroom. Once again he knelt, setting her down gently and withdrawing.

"Bella, you may do anything you need. We'll give you some time to yourself, and then if you would like, I can come help you back to bed." As he now expected, there was no response other than a light sniff. He stood then and left her alone, closing the door behind him and meeting Jasper in the hallway. They both went downstairs, easily able to hear above if Bella called out, but needing to give her as much space as they could.

They joined Rosalie and Emmett in the living room. Emmett was watching a football game while Rosalie flipped through a fashion magazine.

"So how is she?" Emmett asked, looking up from the TV as they walked into the room.

Jasper and Edward shared a glance before Edward answered. "There is a lot of damage there. Not just physically either. She either can't or won't communicate with us verbally and she's terrified of every move we make. The way she reacted when I tried to help her move across the room…." He trailed off, not sure yet what to say, but Jasper completed the thought for him.

"It's like she's giving trained responses," he said quietly.

**A/N: I have this story also posted on twilighted(dot)net and would really love to add a banner for it. If anyone would be interested in creating one for me, please drop me a line with your ideas. You can pm me here, leave a note in your review and I'll respond, or pm me over on twilighted – my ID is Wishingforlove. **

**Thanks again for reading – please review and tell me what you did or didn't like!! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**Since my last update took so long, here's a special treat of an extra long chapter, extra soon. It will probably be at least 2-3 weeks before I can post another, so enjoy! **

**Special thanks to my beta Aprilbaby19 and to SM for letting us play with your characters. **

**Please please please review and let me know if you like where this is heading! My insecure self needs to know if I'm doing something right or wrong. As a special bribe, anyone who reviews this chapter will receive a special teaser before I post the next one.**

**Chapter 5:**

"_It's like she's giving trained responses," he said quietly. _

"What do you mean 'trained responses'" Emmett asked.

Jasper was thoughtful for a moment, trying to decide how best to explain to the others what he felt from Bella. "For the most part, her reactions seem to be instinctive. Alice figured this out faster than us, as usual," he chuckled. "She sent Edward a text letting him know that's why she hasn't been giving us warnings of what Bella will do. Bella is reacting with her basic instincts rather than deciding or planning responses like the average person. Because of this, Alice can't see what she's going to do fast enough to respond or come up with alternatives."

"But what does that have to do with training?" Emmett questioned again.

"When Edward approached her to try and move her out from under the table, she wanted to flee, that much was clear just by the amount of fear she was throwing out." Edward nodded his agreement with Jasper's statement. "Instead, she didn't move until he physically directed her where he wanted her. That command she obeyed almost instantly. Humans override instinctive responses with reason, and even immersed in that much terror she should still have at least shown some indecision before acquiescing. I didn't sense any indecision from her, just flat out fear. The only way to replace instincts to the point that an alternate response takes its place reflexively is with extensive training."

Jasper continued his musing out loud, "There are a number of different methods to retrain reflexes, and any of them would take either a lot of time or some pretty rough treatment. The army has developed their own system over the years that's been highly successful, but not to this extent. Most methods involve deconstructing the person first. The most common base the training on either positive or negative reinforcement, the same way you would train a dog or horse. Judging by Bella's current state and reactions, I'd say she's undergone a tremendous amount of negative reinforcement. The bruising shows that there was plenty of physical punishment, but I'm more worried about the mental. We'll need to tread very lightly to find out the extent of her trauma and figure out her triggers. Once we know more, we might be able to figure out a way to help her."

"Any ideas why she doesn't seem to understand what we're saying to her?" Edward asked.

"Not yet. For all I know, she does understand us, but has been trained not to respond. You saw the way she was being kept. I get the impression they treated her as if she really were an animal. If she's been forced into the role of a pet for long enough, it's possible she's all but forgotten she isn't one. If she does remember before being taken, then she still may not show that side of her around us, not knowing if we expect the same behavior as her captors."

Emmett's low growl was furious. How could they treat anyone like that, much less someone so much smaller and weaker than themselves? "You mentioned triggers," he said. "I assume you mean things that will remind her of the worst parts."

"Mostly, yes." Jasper answered.

"But we have no way of knowing what those could be! It could be a smell, it could be a word, an action, DAMN, it could be something as stupid as a COLOR!" Edward snarled as he launched himself from the couch to pace the length of the living room.

_Way to go with the dramatics Edward, _Rosalie scathed. He shot her a glare and continued his pacing.

_Edward, calm down. We need to handle this carefully and we can't do that if you are going to lose it after just a discussion, _Jasper admonished.

_Bro, what's your deal? _Emmett's concern was clear. _Why is this getting to you so bad? _Edward looked at Emmett's worried face. With a quiet oath, he stormed out of the house and took off across the lawn, easily leaping the river and disappeared into the woods behind the house.

Both Rosalie and Emmett looked to Jasper for clarification of what had Edward so upset. Jasper frowned, but shook his head, not willing to give away Edwards inner feelings. He knew what was happening but it would be up to Edward to come to terms with it himself. Any prodding on his part would only bring out Edward's stubborn streak and it wouldn't help either him or Bella if that were to happen.

They were silent then as each processed the discussion in their own way. The football game on the screen droned on with Emmett's occasional enthusiastic yell or disgruntled oath and Jasper continued to assess Bella occasionally for any changes. As far as he could tell, she was still in the same place they had left her, having not heard any sounds of movement. He could send Rose up, but was reluctant to do so. Instead he decided to wait for Esme and Alice to return. If anyone could break through Bella's fear, it had to be Esme. She had the most loving and gentle spirit, no one could be afraid of her.

They sat in the living room, leaving Bella to hopefully settle back down a bit. He was still careful as he had been all day not to take too deep of breaths, feeling the burn at the back of his throat with each one. Even after the decades of discipline, he still felt the temptation of human blood more than any of his family members due to his past. After what seemed like hours, he heard the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway. "Finally!" he muttered.

He rose and walked out the front door onto the porch to see Alice's Porsche pull up to the garage, followed closely by a large delivery van. Alice and Esme stepped out as Edward emerged from the woods next to the car. Apparently he hadn't gone far and had heard them coming.

"Alice, are you sure you didn't forget anything?" he called out in good natured sarcasm. Jasper was relieved to sense he now had a better handle on his feelings for the time being. Bella's frantic emotions were more than enough for him to handle without adding Edward's volatile moods to the mix.

Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward in response to his comment and Jasper snickered quietly as he walked down the steps to meet his love with a soft embrace. "Find everything you wanted?" he asked, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

She grinned back at him. "I think this will do for now, I can get the rest later when I have a better idea of her tastes." Turning to the delivery men standing next the truck she spoke louder, "Gentleman, you may unload everything right inside the living room, we can take care of it from there." Turning back to Jasper and Edward she explained, "Bella might be a little scared if she hears a lot of loud noises and unfamiliar voices."

Edward smiled his appreciation at her thoughtfulness. Watching as the truck was unloaded, he shook his head. He knew Alice had shopped for her own pleasure as much as for any of Bella's needs, but really couldn't foresee her using most of the items visible in the back of the truck. None the less, he knew better than to question Alice; if he did it would only result in a long debate that he'd lose anyway. He didn't need her second sight to know that.

As if reversing their roles and reading his thoughts, she turned and winked, tinkling with laughter as she followed Esme into the house. Jasper rolled his eyes behind her and both he and Edward shared a grin as they walked through the door, followed by the delivery men who carried what looked to be a king sized mattress. One blanched noticeably when he entered the house and saw Emmett lounging on the couch. Edward chuckled when he heard them walk back out, muttering about no longer wondering how they would get all the furniture up the stairs.

Once everything was unloaded, the drivers tipped and on their way, the family, sans Carlisle, reconvened in the living room to form a plan for the rest of the evening. It was crowded with the copious amounts of furniture and bags of purchases that now very nearly filled the room. Edward surveyed everything with amazement. Alice had outdone herself and he could hear her satisfaction as she ran through the list and mentally arranged Bella's new room. Leaving her to it, he decided to address a more pressing problem.

"Esme." She looked up from the clothes she and Alice were showing to Rosalie. "We have a bit of an issue with Bella we need your help with." She smiled warmly.

"Of course, what happened today? Alice explained why she thinks she's having difficulty seeing ahead with Bella."

Edward looked over at Jasper to confirm his thoughts before continuing. "Well, she's not reacting well to anyone's presence, but the most pressing problem is her human needs. We managed to get her to the bathroom and have left her alone, but we don't think she understands she's allowed to… um…go." He finished awkwardly. "I also brought some food up, but she wouldn't touch it."

"Well let's start with the first problem. I'll go up and see if I can help her. Maybe she's just uncomfortable with men. Meanwhile, why don't you all get these things up to her bedroom and arranged. Then we can get her settled in over there and see about some dinner. She must be starving."

"Thanks Esme," he smiled gratefully.

"She's definitely hungry Esme, but…." Jasper trailed off, not sure where to begin with his concerns. Esme paused at the bottom of the stairs, her concerned expression encouraging.

"Jazz, what's wrong?" Alice's melodic voice helped to settle his thoughts.

"Alice can you see anything at all about Bella?" he asked.

Her face went blank for a few moments and her delicate eyebrows drew together when she turned back to him. "Not really," she answered. "I can see her in the new bed with the new pajamas I bought, but it's only a flash. I can't tell if she likes them and I can't really see anything else." It's kind of like trying to see around the wolves, it's blank."

"I wonder if that's because they live so much by instinct as well," he said slowly. "Esme, I assume Alice told you her theory that she gave Edward?" She nodded. "Well her reactions earlier fit with that theory to some extent. She's mainly acting on instinct, but I have the impression that she's been… taught," he stopped himself from saying trained, hoping to temper it for Esme and Alice, "…to give certain reactions."

He could feel Esme's distress as she caught on to what he was trying to explain to her. Somehow she was the hardest to tell his thoughts about Bella, being the gentlest among them. "I guess…. just don't expect too much from her yet. I don't feel anything from her that leads me to believe she'll come out of this quickly."

Esme nodded, smiling reassuringly, and continued up the stairs and down the hallway. As she approached the door she heard Jasper call out "Esme, I would recommend knocking before you open the door so you don't surprise her." She smiled her appreciation at the suggestion even though he couldn't see it, and knocked lightly on the door in front of her before gently opening it.

When she entered the room and glanced around, she didn't immediately see Bella. The boys had taken her to the bathroom, so she softly called out before walking in. "Bella? Do you need any help sweetheart?" When she entered the room she found Bella in the center of the room lying on her stomach with her arms and legs tucked underneath her. When the girl's eyes rose, she expected fear but was not prepared for the reaction Bella gave. Her eyes went wide with terror, and her breathing immediately began coming in small gasps. She tensed dramatically, looking as if she were about to throw herself back against the wall, but held her ground. The shaking started slowly, increasing with every second. Tears poured out of her eyes before she squeezed them closed, burying her head under her arms.

Almost immediately Esme could hear the others racing up the stairs, Edward nearly tearing apart the door jam in his haste with Jasper on his heels and Emmett, Alice and Rosalie right behind them. "What happened?" Edward nearly shouted.

Esme stood back, shocked at the girl's behavior. "I'm not sure; all I did was ask if she wanted any help." Looking back at Bella they all froze. Bella appeared more panicked than ever. Her breathing became even more erratic and she slowly backed away from them, her wide eyes locked on the sight of Alice, Rosalie, and Esme standing together.

"She's hyperventilating, we need to give her some space," Jasper instructed forcefully. They fled the room but he remained, stepping back just outside the doorway, trying to send as much calm as possible towards the petrified girl in the corner of the bathroom. Her breaths came in strangled gasps as he worked to sooth her. The sudden surge of terror he'd felt hit his system from downstairs was very nearly incapacitating and had brought him briefly to his knees. It was much like the first time she'd awoken, but stronger, and this time he was struggling to break through the wall of panic she had surrounding her mind. Whatever had set her off seemed to be increasing, working against him. They'd obviously found a major trigger, but he had no clue what it was. Esme was distraught, no doubt blaming herself for what happened. Edward was pulsing with fury and frustration, adding to the difficulty of trying to project positive feeling towards Bella.

Closing his eyes to concentrate he sought out Alice's presence in the hall. She grounded him, centered him, always confidant in his abilities. Gradually, he could feel Bella's panic weaken and with that her breathing slowed and deepened. It had taken nearly fifteen minutes before she had calmed enough to breathe regularly, even with his manipulation, and another ten before any visible signs of her settling were present. He listened to Emmett and Edward assist Alice and Esme in moving all the furniture upstairs and arrange the room to Alice's satisfaction. He stayed near Bella, in her line of vision but giving her as much space as possible. She watched him anxiously, but the panic ridden fear from just shortly before had abated somewhat.

"She seems better now," Edward spoke from the bedroom doorway.

_Yeah, I just wish we knew what set her off like that. Finding these triggers may help us piece together what she went through and maybe give us some idea of how to help her. _

Edward walked slowly into the room and into Bella's line of sight through the open bathroom doorway. She tensed noticeably, but made no further move when he didn't approach her. Instead he sat down on the floor next to Jasper, leaning against the bed, both trying to look nonchalant for her benefit. After a minute, he sighed roughly. "I don't have any ideas for this one that aren't incredibly awkward for all of us."

Jasper smirked in response. _Tell me about it. I know she needs to go, I can feel her desperation, but she won't budge. She's not going to do so without whatever her command is. The only option left is to try commanding her. _

Edward grimaced. "Alright, let's ask Esme to try again."

"Esme?" Jasper called. "Could you come up here? We'd like to try again with Bella."

Esme appeared in the doorway and walked slowly into the room. As soon as she entered Bella's vision, the reaction was instantaneous. Bella's breathing and heart rate spiked and she trembled violently. Jasper was still sitting, but the force of her fear was the same as before. As soon as Esme saw Bella's reaction, she retreated back out into the hall, heart breaking at the confirmation that it was simply her presence upsetting Bella.

Edward however, was trying to piece together Bella's instant fear. "Alice, Rose, Emmett. Can you please come upstairs?"

All three appeared in the doorway a moment later, confusion and concern warring on their faces when they saw Esme so upset. "We need to try a small experiment," he said to them. He looked to Jasper, "tell us when she's calmed down again." Once more, it took nearly 15 minutes for Bella to settle back down. It was obvious Bella knew the others were still out in the hall, so Edward and Jasper had to ignore them for her to relax. Once she was as calm as could be expected, Edward spoke quietly, explaining what he wanted to test.

"Bella was more terrified of Esme than she has been since she awoke, even with Carlisle, Jasper and I in the room with her together. I want to test if she's more afraid of females than males. Emmett, let's start with you. Walk slowly in front of the doorway and stand where she can see you, but don't acknowledge or look at her. Speak to Jasper and I." When Emmett moved into the bedroom, he could see Bella from the corner of his eye but didn't look directly at her. This was the first he'd seen of her, other than the quick glance he'd had when they all rushed in before. She tensed noticeably when she saw him, her eyes going wide at his size, but made no other movements. At 6'7" with the stature of a body builder, he was generally very intimidating to those who first saw him. Her reaction was surprisingly less than what they expected.

"Emmett, stay standing where she can see you for a moment, then turn and look at her directly." He did as instructed and turned to Bella. When he made eye contact he smiled, knowingly displaying the dimples that were usually disarming. She tensed again, tear tracks staining her face, but no fresh ones fell.

"Okay, Emmett, go back to the hall. Alice, I'd like to try you next." The moment Bella saw Alice, her reaction was the same as with Esme. Her heart rate and breathing spiked, and a violent wave of fear and panic slammed into Jasper, leaving them both gasping.

"Alice, step out. I think we have our answer on this one." Edward looked at Jasper as he struggled to regain his composure. "She's more afraid of females than males."

__________

While Esme and Alice retreated downstairs regretfully to unpack the last of the items bought for Bella, followed by a relieved Rosalie, Edward and Jasper brainstormed what to do. Emmett stayed, drawn like the others into the soul searing eyes of the traumatized girl currently cowering in the corner of his sister's bathroom.

"Okay, we need to take care of her relieving herself first. Who's it going to be?" Edward asked apprehensively, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked up at the other two.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Emmett suggested, shrugging.

"Alice, who..." he called out, but was answered before he could finish the question.

"Jasper," she called back.

Both Emmett and Edward grinned widely, swiftly leaving the room. Jasper sighed lightly, still not trusting taking full breaths and ran a hand through his hair. "Alice…." He trailed off, unsure what he really wanted to ask.

"Don't worry Jazz, you won't hurt her," she called, immediately understanding his hesitation. Seeing her thoughts, Edward knew the exchange was for Jasper's reassurance, and that Alice had had no vision to back up her unflappable trust in her mate. He concentrated on her faith, keeping his own insecurity buried, knowing it would only make it more difficult for Jasper if he thought anyone had less than full confidence in him.

"Okay Bella," Jasper spoke in a low soothing tone. "It's okay for you to use the bathroom now. I'm just going to come in and help you stand, then we'll figure it out from there." He approached her slowly, continuing to tell her everything he was about to do, his tone and voice more important than the words he was saying. She tensed again, tears still trickling down her cheeks from the emotional roller coaster they'd put her through.

He knelt down in front of her, hating the way she cringed and how frightened she was. Gently he took hold of her upper arms and guided her up. She was now standing on her knees, but remembering how she'd behaved for Edward this afternoon, knew this was the easy part. Now he had to get her to her feet.

_No time like the present for a lesson…_ he thought grimly. Carefully, he lifted Bella and set her on her feet. He kept a hand on her arm holding her up, knowing as soon as he let go she would drop back to her knees. He stepped back, drawing her forward. Her first step was hesitant; she wobbled almost as if she couldn't remember how to walk properly. Carlisle had mentioned her ankle should be stable enough with the bandage for walking, but still he was careful to hold part of her weight up when she stepped on that foot and closely monitored that she wasn't in too much physical pain. Her movements were clumsy and stiff, no doubt from kneeling for the past several years, and her eyes were wide open, the tears stopped and drying on her cheeks. She was still immensely scared, but confusion was now present as well. That was good, he thought, he was making an impression.

It was only a few steps to the toilet and he turned and gently stood her in front. Now came the most awkward part. He purposefully kept his eyes trained above her head, staring at the wall as he lifted the nightgown just past her thighs. Concentrating on her emotions, not what he was doing, he marveled that her fear wasn't as powerful as he would have expected for such an action to a sexual abuse victim. When he had the material bunched at her waist, he gently pushed her down to sit and then let the material drape over her lap. Finally, she was sitting on the toilet.

Looking down into her face, he spoke gently but firmly, simultaneously needing her to understand the command he was giving, and hating that he had to give her one at all. "Go," was all he said, and turning his back, retreated as swiftly as he dared without alarming her to the bedroom doorway with Edward and Emmett. They sighed a collective breath of relief when the sounds of her compliance were heard.

_Thank God! That was the most awkward thing I have ever done in my entire life! _Jasper had his hands over his face, and if it was possible for vampire's to blush, would have been the color of a ripe tomato.

Edward chuckled in answer. "It's not over yet, you can't leave her sitting there for the rest of the night." He and Emmett both laughed loudly at the horror stricken look on Jasper's face.

"Maybe we should try again with one of the girls, she didn't see Rosalie yet, maybe her reaction will be different," Jasper suggested urgently. He was grasping at straws and they all knew it, but Rosalie answered from below with disgust evident in her voice.

"There is absolutely no way you will get me up there to play nursemaid to a human!"

Alice giggled and called up to them "Jazz, you're in luck. Carlisle will be home in 3 minutes. He can do the honors." The relief Jasper felt at being taken off the hook washed over them all it was so strong. Despite living through the modern ages, he had been born and raised in a time when there were certain things that men did and did not involve themselves with when it came to ladies. He was raised to be a gentleman and he had already pushed the border of improper actions much farther than he ever wanted to go.

True to Alice's vision, Carlisle arrived minutes later and they greeted him downstairs, quickly recounting all that had transpired during the day.

"I want to discuss your theories further, but let's start with Bella's needs first," Carlisle spoke when they finished. "Alice, is her room ready?"

"Almost," she replied. "I just need to arrange her closet."

Emmett rolled his eyes, "that could take days knowing you."

Alice once again stuck out her tongue and turned primly around to grab the last armful of shopping bags before dashing up the stairs with flawless grace, calling out "give me fifteen minutes."

Carlisle followed behind her at a sedate pace, already planning how best to approach Bella. His son's theories surrounding her behavior were fascinating and he was anxious to test them gently with Bella. Deciding it would be a good habit to get into around her, Carlisle knocked gently on Alice and Jasper's bedroom door before opening it slowly. He stepped in, closing it behind him, and called out softly. "Bella, are you finished? It's Carlisle. I'm just here to see if you need any help."

He walked with care around the corner and into the bathroom, pleasantly startled to find Bella sitting on her knees leaning against the cabinets of the large counter. She had completed the act on her own. He knew Edward could hear his thoughts and would tell the others. What this meant however, baffled Carlisle. Bella managed to surprise them with every action or reaction she had. It was near impossible to predict what she was going to do next. She looked up at his approach and tensed, but made no move to back away. He was elated to see no fresh tears fall from her eyes. She was still afraid, but no longer in a panicked state.

"Jasper, Edward, you can come up now," he called out. An instant later there was a light knock at the bedroom door before they opened it and entered. Carlisle backed out of the bathroom to stand with them where Bella could observe without feeling her space was being threatened. "You two have made the most connection with her today so I think, for the time being, it would be best if you two take over the majority of her care. I'm sure this morning she was terribly disoriented and it will take some time for her to grow accustomed to a new environment and treatment. If she can become accustomed to your presence, then slowly we can use any trust she builds up in you to alleviate her fears of new things. Eventually we can start introducing the other members of the family, maybe just with occasionally witnessing your interactions with us to start. With the two of you, it shouldn't be too demanding of either of your time. How does that sound?"

Both Edward and Jasper nodded apprehensively, glancing over at their new charge. "I ran some tests on the blood sample I took this morning," Carlisle continued. "She appears to be as healthy as can be expected, although getting some nutrients into her should be your number one concern. She is grossly underfed and I'd estimate she could stand to put at least fifteen pounds on ideally. You mentioned she refused the soup and crackers this afternoon?"

"I wouldn't say blatantly refused," Jasper said slowly. "More like she wanted it but was forcing herself not to accept it. She's so afraid of everything I can't isolate what factors might be causing it. She could be afraid of being beaten for touching it, she could not like what it is… I don't know," he said perplexed, running a hand through his hair. "I could feel how hungry she was, and I could feel how hard she was fighting her desire. I just don't know why."

"What is she feeling right now?" Carlisle asked, looking over at Bella again. She had watched most of their conversation, but as the attention hadn't been on her, after a few minutes she'd carefully eased down to lay on the floor, her back against the cabinets. She was staring out the window now but her gaze appeared unfocused, the attention drawn inward.

"Resigned would be the best way to describe it," Jasper answered. His own feelings were in a turmoil and he was working hard not to let any of it transmit to Bella. Although his family was used to feeling subtle effects of his mood unless he was purposefully withholding it, Bella was not and what he was feeling now could only make things more difficult for her.

"Jasper, you might be wrong about that…" Edward mused next to him. Carlisle merely looked at them both, curious as to what Edward was suggesting. "Not about being resigned," he clarified. "Jasper's holding off his own feelings from her, just trying to keep her calm, but maybe it would be helpful if she feels what he does. Obviously verbal communication isn't working to let her know we mean her no harm, maybe this is something she can understand."

"Hmmm… you could be right, but I'm not sure if I would take the chance just yet. Give her time to acclimate to you both first and then we can readdress that idea once she's more comfortable here," Carlisle suggested. "Let's get her to her new room and changed into those new pajamas Alice was raving about and then see if we can find something she'll eat. I would suggest that you try and get her as comfortable as possible with her current situation before you introduce new things to her. She's going to need a lot of time and patience and for you to go as slowly as you can with her."

"Well I guess there's no time like the present to get started. How do you want to do this Edward?" Jasper asked.

"Carlisle, do you think there will be any negative effects from continuing what we did earlier?" Edward asked softly, looking over at Bella's still form.

"I don't think in the short term we have another choice. Whether or not it will cause more damage remains to be seen, but we need to find a way to communicate with her. There will be a very fine line to walk, but I have no doubt the two of you will figure it out. In the meantime, you may find researching new developments with regards to nonverbal communication may be helpful, and may even want to look into recent work with natural animal training…"

"Carlisle! How could you of all people suggest…" Edward interrupted, taken aback at his suggestion.

"Edward let me finish. I'm not in any way suggesting you "train" Bella for anything, merely that you look into the theories behind what they are doing. The Horse Whisperer would be one example. He doesn't actually whisper to horses, he uses a very in depth knowledge of how they communicate in the wild to understand better how to get across what he wants without beating the animal into submission. We don't know the exact extent of Bella's trauma but it's no large jump in conclusion to assume that beating it into her is exactly what she's undergone thus far. You've seen for yourself how the knowledge could prove useful. I'm just telling you to look into all possibilities, including those less orthodox."

Although Carlisle's suggestion made complete sense, the idea still rankled to Edward. Bella had been treated badly enough and he had no intention of letting her think of his family in the same way as those who had abused her. She'd never get over her fear of them if that was the case. "Jasper, you got her to walk earlier, so I'm going to try that again."

The others nodded and moved across the room giving Edward a clear path between Bella and the door. As soon as they moved from their discussion, Bella had tensed again and was watching him with wide eyes. He crouched down just inside the bathroom door and spoke to her.

"Bella, Alice has prepared a room just for you. Once you feel up to it, you can tell her how you'd like it arranged, but for now I'm sure you'd just like to relax and have something to eat. Jasper's going to go down and get you some dinner as soon as we get you over to the other room."

_Great. Nasty stuff. I'm not really surprised she didn't want it, that soup smelled revolting. _Edward turned to him with a smirk.

"Ask Rosalie for some help, she was thrilled to be of use this afternoon" he joked.

Rosalie's scathing comment could be heard from downstairs, followed quickly by Esme's offer to get something started now.

"Thank you Esme, that would be very helpful," Jasper grinned back at Edward who rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Bella. She had continued to watch his every move and he spoke to her again as he moved closer. With each step she grew noticeably more afraid; a faint trembling in her limbs and her eyes glistened with the threat of tears.

"Sshh, Bella," he said soothingly. "No one is going to hurt you here." Gently he took her arm and drew her up to her knees and then to her feet. She was still unsteady and he could tell she would drop to her knees again if he let go. She wasn't resisting him though, so he took that as a good sign. "Easy Bella, let's walk down the hall to your new room," he continued as he led her gently forward. She was extremely hesitant and unsteady on her feet. Twice between the bathroom and the bedroom she stumbled, each time cringing away and attempting to drop to her knees.

"Jasper is her ankle hurting her?" Carlisle asked quietly as he watched their slow progress across the room.

"I can feel pain, but not exceptional amounts and I can't pinpoint what she's feeling it from," he answered at the same volume.

"It's obvious she's not used to being on her feet. I'd like to see you two get her doing some light muscle building exercises to increase her balance and strength. Maybe some yoga. I know Alice has been enjoying it lately."

Jasper smiled as he pictured what they'd done after her last yoga session. Edward grimaced and glared over at him when the memory ran through his mind, earning a quick response from Bella when she flinched back violently. Carefully he schooled his expression back to one of patience and shot Jasper a wave of annoyance. "It's okay Bella, I was just thinking of something that tasted bad." Too late he realized how that might come across to her and waited for her to flinch again, but was thankful for the first time when she didn't react.

Jasper cleverly disguised his laughter as a light cough. _I guess we now know she's not just ignoring what we're saying._

Carlisle merely raised his eyebrow at their antics which he knew he didn't want the details on. "As I was saying, you may want to try some gentle yoga with her at some point to improve her balance."

"How do you suggest we get her to do it?" Jasper asked as Edward and Bella neared the bedroom door.

"I'm not sure, but you could try doing it with her," seeing the astonished looks on both of his sons faces and hearing the laughter from downstairs he added "or not. Anyway, I don't think she'll be up to it for a while yet. For now, just walking down the hallway a few times a day would be extremely beneficial. I brought a brace for her ankle back from the hospital. We can put it on after she's changed into her pajamas."

They followed Edward and Bella's progress down the hallway when nearly half way to her new room, her legs gave out and she collapsed. Edward's reaction was immediate and he caught her from falling completely, lowering her gently to the floor at the head of the stairs.

"She's disoriented," Jasper told them as he and Carlisle moved quickly by their side. Not seeing them approach, Bella lunged back, very nearly falling down the stairs, Edward catching her at the last second yet again. Swiftly, Carlisle and Jasper moved back, giving her space. Edward whispered soothing words while Jasper worked to calm her down.

"She's still very disoriented and dizzy too," Jasper spoke lowly.

"It's probably from hunger," Carlisle speculated. "I can practically smell how low her blood sugar is."

Edward lifted Bella into his arms and carried her the last few steps to her new bedroom. When he entered he stopped, shocked at how the décor and arrangement of the room. "Alice, what the hell! It looks like a sultan's harem in here!" Edward hissed angrily, knowing full well she could hear him downstairs.

He hadn't been paying attention to her thoughts while they dealt with Bella. The room had definitely not looked like this when he'd last seen it. The bed had been lowered so it was a hairs width away from lying on the floor, pillows tossed in artful disarray around the edges of 3 sides, giving it the appearance of something closer to a very large couch. Large pillows and plush rugs were scattered throughout the room, and a large beanbag chair sat in one corner of the glass wall that made up the back of the house. The other furniture was more normal, but still with the soft flowing fabrics everywhere, it held a distinctly Middle Eastern tone.

_Calm down Edward, I did it so Bella would be more comfortable. As soon as I heard how she reacted to the bed in our room I realized she wouldn't be comfortable in one of her own either. She's been sleeping on a bed on the floor for so long, I thought this would be a good way to stay in her comfort zone…_

_Edward! Pay attention to Bella, you're scaring her! _Jasper's shouted thought brought his attention back to the quivering girl in his arms. Her dark brown eyes were wide and tear filled. Gently he lowered her feet to the floor, holding her lightly below the arms.

"It's okay Bella, I'm not angry at you." Bella's eyes stayed on his until the second he stepped back and let go of her. Immediately she dropped to her hands and knees, looking down at the floor. He crouched down to her level, tilting her head up to his. Her eyes were clenched shut, tears leaking out of them again and he sighed, disappointed that they'd made little to no progress as yet. "Bella. Bella, no one is going to hurt you. Now how about we get you something to eat?" He hadn't expected a reaction, but was still disheartened when there was none.

Slowly he rose, stepping back and turned to Jasper and Carlisle who were still waiting patiently in the hallway. "Okay, step one, she's in her new room. Step two, food."

"I've made some oatmeal and some chocolate milk for her," Esme called up the stairs softly.

"I've never understood why humans drink chocolate flavored milk. If you want milk, drink milk. If you want chocolate, drink chocolate." Emmett's comment from the living room lightened the mood as they chuckled at it.

"Thank you Esme," Jasper said to her as he retrieved the meal. The hurt and sympathy he could feel coming from her matched the pained expression on her face. The fact that she couldn't approach Bella to offer comfort was painful for her. She wanted nothing more than to relieve the young girl's suffering, but would be forced to stay completely out of sight for the time being. He promised himself to work on that aspect of Bella's fear as soon as possible, hoping that it would ease them both.

He brought the small meal upstairs on the pretty tray Esme had arranged and approached Bella slowly. "Bella, Esme's made you some oatmeal." He could feel the fright increase as expected when he drew near. He gently sat down in front of her. She shrank away from him without moving from her place in the center of the room, looking up at him fearfully. He set the tray down and gestured to it. She looked at the offering for moment before glancing back at him and then lay down carefully, tucking her arms and legs underneath her, discomfort obvious in her stiff movements. He could feel her pain, knowing the variety of injuries she'd suffered would take days, if not weeks, to heal properly. The physical injuries would be the easy ones to handle.

Letting Bella watch each movement he made from the corner of her eye, he brought a small spoonful of the lumpy concoction to her. _I'm not surprised she doesn't seem interested in this… look at it. It's warm lumpy mush. Even if I were human I wouldn't eat this stuff. _Edward chuckled softly out in the hallway.

"Come on Bella, why don't you take a few bites. I know you're hungry. You need to eat something, and this is very nutritious." _This is nutritious right? We aren't just feeding her sweetened goo? _

Her only reaction was a light sigh. She made no move to acknowledge the spoon in front of her. Jasper could feel her withdrawing into herself again, her fear and uncertainty slowly fading into a state of numbed resignation. As he watched, her eyes lost focus and drifted partly closed.

"She's giving up again," he spoke too softly for her to hear.

Carlisle sighed from the hallway. "Alright, we can't force her to eat without doing irreparable harm. Let's leave it in with her for a little while and give her some time to adjust to the new space."

Disappointment wove through Jasper and he could feel it from the others standing outside in the hallway. He stood slowly and backed away, but for all the reaction Bella gave, he might as well have moved at his natural speed. She didn't acknowledge his leaving in any way. As he walked out in the hallway, Carlisle turned and descended the steps, but Edward was staring into the room at the still form curled up in the center of the floor. Disappointment, confusion, frustration, all flowed around him. "I'll stay up here with her," he said.

Jasper was about to argue, but decided against it, sensing the resolve in his brother. _You're going to have to deal with this sooner or later Edward. _

"I don't even know what 'this' is. Why do I care what happens to one insignificant girl."

_You've been around long enough to figure it out. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you'll start to feel better. I'll be back in a few hours. We have school in the morning, do you want to stay, or should I. _

"I'll stay."

Jasper left Edward standing in the hall and sped down the steps. The day had been trying and he'd felt the stress of everyone in the house. When Alice met him at the bottom of steps, he smiled.

"Let's go," she beamed back. They left the house at a run, Jasper relieved to distance himself from the turbulence abounding at the house where a helpless young girl suffered in silence, fear and pain her constant companion.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**First just let me say HOW SORRY I am for such a long wait between updates. First I had a major competition for my other hobby (took over all champ of my division!), then I had a major final project and final exams. As a thank you gift for all your patience, I've given you a seriously long chapter – 20 pages in fact! Future updates will probably not be as long, but hopefully won't be as long in coming either.**

**HUGE thanks to all those that reviewed the last chapter, I hope you enjoyed your teaser, whichever one you received ;). I ended up with around 150 reviews between here and Twilighted and I was so thrilled! I did use several of your suggestions for comfort food (amid writing breaks to hunt some of those things up, because I was starving every time I went back to read them, lol!). I probably won't do that again though, since it took hours to get all the teasers sent out. I'm sure you guys would much rather I spent that time writing. If I can come up with a faster way to pass on teasers, I'll do so again. **

**I've had several people leaving me reviews that they find this story very similar to two others – both of which I am a big fan of. The Vampire in the Basement by Michellephants and Survival of the Soul by Lady Saffir. If you haven't read them – do so!!! Both are outstanding and compelling stories!**

**I also have to give mega thanks to my betas for this chapter – Aprilbaby19 and ECullenitis. They both gave me some great feedback and suggestions to make this the best I can offer you. Big thanks go to Char as well for my lovely banner over on Twilighted! **

**As always, please review – whether you loved it, hated it, or have some suggestions for improvement. I'm sorry I haven't had time to respond to each and every one of them in the past, but know that I do read them all and appreciate them to no end!! **

**Much Love!!**

**~Wishes**

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**Chapter 6:**

The sun was just beginning to rise as Edward stood in the doorway of Bella's room leaning against the frame and turned his head once again to look at the defenseless girl curled up on the huge bed. He'd stayed with her the entire night, repeatedly urging her to eat with no response. After several tries, he'd grown desperate and tried ordering her to eat, but to no avail. It was as if she had been completely unaware of his presence any longer. Her eyes had remained half closed, blinking only every so often and otherwise remaining in the same curled position in the middle of the floor.

She'd finally fallen into a deep slumber around 3am and when he was sure she wouldn't awaken, he'd had Esme quietly come in and change her into the soft pajamas Alice had picked out earlier. When he'd reentered the room Esme had tenderly moved her onto the large bed and covered her with a soft blanket, stroking her cheek lightly before slipping out. Since then, Bella had remained in the same place, the soft rise and fall of her chest her only movement.

He could hear the mental voices of Jasper and Alice growing closer, returning from their hunt in one of the nearby national parks. They were in high spirits and he attempted to ignore as much as possible of what else they'd been doing as it replayed in their minds. There were times he wished his gift had come with an off switch.

Jasper floated up the stairs with Alice beside him and met Edward in the hall. "Any change? Did she eat anything at all?" he asked quietly.

Edward simply shook his head. "You were right; I think she shut down for the time being. She didn't respond to anything I did the rest of the night and finally fell asleep around three."

Jasper frowned, "I really hoped she'd at least eat something. She had all those fluids yesterday that Carlisle gave her, but she's going on more than 12 hours since that. I wish I could understand why she's fighting it down."

Edward could only shrug in return and looked back at Bella again as he had countless times while she slept. Neither of them were very sure about where they were going with her. It was time to figure that out as it was obvious she would need more aggressive treatment than they'd been offering so far.

"Did you by any chance order her to eat?" Jasper asked.

"Yes. She didn't respond to anything I did in the slightest. I think I could have hurled furniture through the window and she wouldn't have noticed," he said, shaking his head.

Having heard their discussion from his study, Carlisle joined them in the hallway. "If you boys can't get her to eat, I'm afraid I'll be forced to put in a feeding tube." He held up a hand to halt their protests. "I don't want to do it any more than you do. It will undoubtedly cause even more anguish than she's going through now, but she needs nourishment. Without it, she'll die. I can only keep her alive with IV fluids for so long."

"How much time can you give us," Jasper asked.

"If I give her a bag morning and night, maybe 48 hours at most. It doesn't have the calories she needs. I'm afraid of letting her condition get any worse than it is now without irreparable damage to her heart. With the stress she's going through, it's only that much harder for her physically to handle."

"Any suggestions for convincing her to eat?" Edward asked, still looking at Bella through the doorway.

"You could try a variety of foods and see if something in particular sparks her interest. Perhaps observe the students at school and see what they prefer. You might find something that teenagers in particular like to eat right now."

"Does it matter what she eats?" Jasper asked. Beside him Alice was uncommonly silent, listening to the exchange and watching Edward's behavior closely. She was frustrated at the blindness of her gift concerning Bella, but it wouldn't be long before Alice figured out what Edward was so close to realizing himself, even without being able to see the future. She watched his expression speculatively, and judging by the irritation coming off him in waves, he didn't like where her thoughts were headed.

"To start with, I think the biggest challenge is getting her to eat anything at all," Carlisle continued. "Once you've made that breakthrough, you can work towards the items that would be most beneficial. For all it matters, she could start with chocolate bars and ice cream," he chuckled. "After so long without solids however, I would recommend steering towards blander items with a high calorie content. If you have the option, choose those with the most natural ingredients, and the least amount of processing. She also needs protein and iron."

"I'll ask Esme to look up some potential recipe's this afternoon and we can make another run to the grocery store," Jasper offered.

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea," Alice spoke up now. Her eyes held the blank expression Jasper knew so well and he waited with interest. Was she able to see Bella now? "If any of us try and cook something tonight that's more complicated than heating something premade or adding water, it has various bad outcomes. It's either burnt, raw, or some combination therein." She paused and he could see her running other options, looking for a way to furnish Bella with fresh hot meals. After a moment, she giggled and her eyes lit up.

"Emmett's going to make a trip to a restaurant tonight and will pick up a selection. Jasper, you and I will make another run to the grocery store after school. We'll watch the other students at lunch like Carlisle said for ideas of what to pick up."

Jasper smiled in appreciation for her help and squeezed her tighter around the waist. She looked up at him, her eyes alight. "I'm going to go get ready for school. You should shower before we leave, you still have dirt smudges all over you," she winked saucily and skipped off to their room tinkling with laughter. Carlisle chuckled and Edward rolled his eyes as Jasper looked sheepishly back at them before following behind her.

_I'll plan to give her another round of fluids after they leave for school. _Edward nodded his acknowledgement at Carlisle's unspoken thought and turned once more to Bella while Carlisle headed downstairs. Edward walked silently across the room and drew the curtains across the windows, keeping out the growing morning light so as not to awaken her any earlier than necessary. Stepping out for just a brief second, he retrieved a book from his room next door and then settled down in the doorway where he could see her.

______

Just under an hour later, Carlisle approached Edward again with the IV tubes and a bag of fluids in his hands. "I'd like to give this a try with her awake this time," he said quietly, as Edward rose. "If she wakes up with the needle in her arm, or during the process, I think it would be much more terrifying of a shock. I'm going to need your assistance to restrain her gently and not let her hurt herself if she panics."

Edward nodded grimly, pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut momentarily. He reopened them and glancing quickly at Carlisle's patient face, turned and hesitantly approached Bella's inert form. The bed softly dipped as he knelt on the edge to reach across the expanse. Her delicate lashes fluttered briefly on her cheeks at the motion and her forehead creased before relaxing again as she settled back into sleep. He hated to wake her, seeing her as relaxed as she was now and knowing that would change the instant her eyes opened. Gently he caressed her cheek with a finger and softly called her name.

"Bella. Bella, wake up. We need to give you something to help you feel better." Her lashes fluttered again and slowly her eyes opened. It took only a second for her to become aware of her surroundings and her eyes flashed with fear as she cringed away into the pillows against the wall. In that brief second before full consciousness however, he'd seen peace in her eyes. He wanted so much to see that feeling endlessly reflected in those dark pools. A wave of emotion hit him so unexpectedly that he nearly flinched back himself, catching his movement at the last second to avoid frightening her further.

He withdrew his hand at a human speed, and spoke calmly to her. "Bella, we need to give you some medicine to help you feel better." He thought briefly before turning and addressing Carlisle. "Why don't we try giving her choice, see if she'll eat or drink something on her own first. Give her the option and see if she understands?"

Carlisle nodded and smiled at Bella before setting the supplies in his hands on the bureau near the door. He left then, and went downstairs to retrieve something to offer Bella. _Ask her and see if she'll give us a request for anything specific. We need to keep trying to engage her and encourage her participation in the decisions surrounding her care and comfort._

"Bella, Carlisle would like to know what you would like for breakfast. Do you have any favorite foods?" He waited for a response of any type that would show she at least understood when they spoke to her, but once again he was disappointed. Her eyes remained clouded with fear and her body trembled faintly under the blanket.

"Bella, do you like oatmeal?" He tried asking a yes or no question that she would be able to answer with a simple nod or shake of her head and sighed lightly after a few moments of waiting. There was still no sign she even understood what he was asking.

"Still no answer Carlisle," he spoke just loud enough to be heard downstairs in the kitchen.

_Frankly, I would have been very surprised if she had given you a response. This is only her second day here with us. It's going to take a lot more time for her to trust us enough to open up. All we can do until then is offer her as much comfort as we can. I've heated up some more oatmeal, and a mug of tea. I'm afraid we're all going to have to learn to cook to some basic meals to meet her needs long term. _

"Rose will be thrilled," Edward responded sarcastically. He'd remained kneeling on the edge of the bed and Bella was still scrunched against the pillows and the wall on the other side. Moving at normal human speeds for her, he slid off the bed to sit on the floor and turned away, leaning back against the mattress, trying to help her relax by taking his direct attention away. In the back of his mind he registered Alice had been right when she rearranged the room. Bella obviously didn't equate where she was with being on the bed or she would have been much more upset.

Carlisle entered a moment later, carrying the same tray Esme had prepared the night before and set the tray on the bed in front of Bella. She noticeably tensed at the presence of another vampire in close proximity. He turned away to retrieve the IV and fluid bag left on the bureau and walked back, setting it next to the tray on the bed where she could see everything displayed in front of her. As soon as Bella's eyes landed on the capped needled, she reacted violently, catching both Cullen's off guard.

Bella flew backward with surprising speed, falling off the side of the bed in her haste to escape. She lunged toward the window and reacting reflexively, Edward caught her before she could go any farther, trying to prevent her struggles from causing more harm. Her eyes were wide with fear and tears trickled down her cheeks. Wordless cries and sobs escaped her as she struggled ferociously in her panic. "Bella," Carlisle tried to soothe, moving in front of her and kneeling down to their level. "Bella, no one is going to hurt you. This is just medicine to help you feel better. Please calm down; we don't want you to hurt yourself further."

Bella continued to resist, but her struggles were slowly growing weaker. Her sobbing continued before finally she collapsed in Edward's arms and ceased fighting back. She stared blankly at the tube and needle still sitting on the bed, tears falling freely down her cheeks and breathing heavily. Soft whimpers still emanated from her at irregular intervals. Hearing the erratic beat of her heart, Carlisle was concerned with the stress they were putting her through.

_We could really use Jasper's help with this, _he thought, gently stroking one of Bella's shaking hands.

"I'm not sure if he could be close enough to have a strong effect. The scent of any exposure of her blood would be too strong for him to resist," Edward whispered back. Bella was cradled to him, with her back pressed against his chest. He could feel every heaving breath she took and he was concentrating on swallowing back the flood of venom pooling in his mouth. If it was this difficult for him, it would be even more so for Jasper.

Letting Bella watch his every movement, Carlisle rose and moved the IV back to the bureau across the room. _You and I can both guess a reason she may be so afraid of needles. Her captors must have had exceptional restraint not to kill her. _

Bella's eyes followed him and stayed trained on the tube and needle when he walked back to the bed and picked up the tray of food. Edward moved slowly to sit down on a large pillow knocked off the bed and leaned against the wall, pulling Bella's limp form with him to lie in his lap. Her trembling was still forceful, but her eyes never left the bureau.

"Bella, let's try having some food first, if you can do that we can pass on the fluids." Carlisle once again knelt down in front of her, setting the tray down between them. Edward's arms continued to support her and she gave no further resistance, though her tears hadn't slowed. Carlisle spooned up some of the now cooling oatmeal and brought it to her lips. "Bella, open," he said forcefully. There was no further response. As they sat there and tried various commands and requests, Bella was unresponsive to them all. Bit by bit her breathing slowed and the whimpers stopped. The tears tracks were drying on her cheeks, her eyes holding a bruised look from the amount of crying she'd done in the past 24 hours.

Finally, Carlisle sighed. _She's not going to eat Edward. Her heart is under a lot of strain and we need to get at least some sort of nutrients into her now. I'm not even sure if we should bother waiting through the next two days. It may be better to sedate her now and put the feeding tube in. When she's physically better, she may be more able to handle stress without us needing to worry if she's going to have a heart attack from the strain it's putting on her. _

"Give us the two days Carlisle. Even if we can't get her to eat, maybe we can convince her we're only doing what we have to for her own good. If she does come through, the results will be so much better for her."

_Edward, you saw her response to just seeing the needle. She is not going to see this as helping her. Be aware that each time you do this it causes her even more stress and we will more than likely still have to put in the feeding tube. _

"I understand, give us the two days. She deserves the chance." Carlisle sighed and shook his head slightly, frowning at his "oldest" son.

_Be prepared for her to react very badly. You'll need to hold her arm perfectly still without hurting her. _Carlisle stood, setting the tray on the bed. As soon as he reached the bureau, Edward felt Bella tense dramatically in his arms, but she didn't have the strength to resist like she had earlier.

"Wait. You mentioned using animal training techniques last night." Carlisle paused, nodding at Edward's statement.

"Remember what they used to do for horses that were scared and panicked? They'd blindfold them."

Carlisle's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Yes, that could help. We do often suggest that patients, especially children, not look at the needle when giving shots or drawing blood. It creates a paradox - the fear increases the pain and the pain increases the fear." His eyes crinkled as another thought was realized. "The unfortunate problem is without seeing what's happening, she may believe she's being bitten. That could potentially be even more frightening for her."

Edward looked down at Bella lying across his arms. "Let's try it with a blindfold first. We can always take it off if she reacts too badly, but we can't exactly put it on half way through."

Carlisle nodded. "I'll be right back." He left the room and Edward couldn't help but see where he was headed and with what in mind. When he returned less than a minute later, Edward only rolled his eyes at the black silk blindfold that he handed over.

Carlisle gave him an amused smile in return, "More than eighty years of marriage, and you're bound to need a few accessories."

"Thanks for that mental image, DAD. Last time you two used this I had to visit the Denali's for a month so I wouldn't have to bear witness to it." Carlisle chuckled good naturedly and Edward heard Esme's giggle from her studio on the floor above where she'd been painting for the past few hours.

"All right, let's get started. I need to leave for the hospital shortly."

Edward took a moment to show Bella the blindfold. Her eyes barely left the bureau where Carlisle stood, flickering to the blindfold only for a split second. Slowly, he slid it over her eyes, giving her time to adjust to the loss of her sight. She tensed, but after a moment seemed to surrender completely and remained limp in his arms. Silently, Carlisle gathered the items while Edward gently repositioned Bella with her arm lying stretched out on the bed next to where they sat. He whispered soothing words to her while keeping one hand securely wrapped around her elbow, effectively immobilizing it. The cool temperature of his skin would provide some numbing effects as well. His other arm was wrapped around her waist, pinning her other arm to her and holding her flush against his own solid body.

"Bella, I'm going to start by cleaning the area to make sure you don't contract an infection," Carlisle began, explaining each step in a low voice before each motion. When the cool alcohol prep pad touched her skin, she barely flinched. "Excellent Bella, you're doing very well." He carefully grasped her hand and brought the needle up. "Bella, I'm going to insert the needle now. You'll feel a slight pinch and then that's all. Edward is going to sit with you while the bag drains and this will make you feel much better."

Carlisle looked to Edward who nodded and held his breath, prepared for whatever Bella's reaction would be and not wanting his own desires to make the situation worse. The needle was in place in the vein before the pain even registered to Bella. She flinched and cried out, shaking her head. Venom flooded Edward's mouth immediately and he swallowed it back forcefully.

As Carlisle placed a small piece of tape over the needle to keep it from moving and stood up with the bag, Bella tried to curl into a ball and tuck her arm against her stomach. Edward's arms around her prevented the movement. After a moment, she ceased resisting. Little by little she went limp again, and Edward carefully released her arm. She was leaning forward, his arm supporting her across her rib cage and he gently inclined her backwards against his chest again.

They stayed there for nearly twenty minutes as the bag emptied, her breathing shallow and her heart thundering. When the last few drops trickled down the thin tube, Carlisle knelt back down and spoke quietly. "Bella, you did so well. I'm going to take the needle out now, can you keep holding still for me please." Not wanting to startle her, Carlisle touched his cool fingers to her hand first and then gently removed the tape and the needle. Bella didn't move at all, though Edward's hand had returned to her elbow just in case.

When Edward saw the band-aid Carlisle placed over the tiny puncture, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Minney Mouse?"

"Yes, well the current fad in pediatrics seems to be Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer, but I've always preferred the classics. Cartoons have gone downhill since the reign of Disney."

"I think Emmett's favorite was always Chip and Dale, though I did find the older Japanese imports such as Voltron had a certain appeal."

His air supply depleted from speaking, Edward took a tentative breath. Though the blood exposure had been microscopic due to Carlisle's expertise and the needle had been dropped into a small tin of alcohol and set aflame, the scent lingering on her skin still hit him viciously, clawing with desire at his throat. "Carlisle!" he hissed. Instantly, Bella was pulled from his arms and was on the other side of the room. Still blindfolded, she was unable to see the evidence of their nature, effectively keeping her unaware of the danger she'd been in momentarily.

His hands fisted in concentration, Edward remained by the bed, working to control the seething monster inside of him. _Edward, concentrate. You can do this. You've been through worse temptation and resisted. I have faith in you._ He concentrated on Carlisle's words, pushing all thoughts of his desires out of his head. After a few minutes he opened his eyes and nodded to let Carlisle know he had regained control.

Carlisle tenderly brought Bella back over to the bed and laid her down on her side. He drew the blindfold off slowly, allowing her time to adjust again. Edward rose and stepped a few paces back, giving Bella room as well. From her reaction, he needn't have bothered. Bella had once again retreated back into herself, seeming completely unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes were half closed and the last of her tears had dried on her cheeks. Stepping out briefly, Edward returned with a damp washcloth as Carlisle was leaving her room.

"It could have been a lot worse. We might be able to hold off until tomorrow morning for the next one, but Edward, if she doesn't start getting real food in the next day or so, the feeding tube is our only option to keep her alive." Edward nodded in response, grimacing as he imagined how much worse her reaction might be if they attempted that.

Carlisle clasped a hand on his shoulder. "We're doing all we can for her. Remember your first day of medical school, the first time around. They told you there is only so much you can do, and you can't save everyone. If you try, you'll only kill yourself. Have faith Edward, and we'll do all we can. Leave the rest to God."

"God can't help our kind Carlisle," Edward said quietly. The jolt of pain that had hit him when he thought of them losing Bella was staggering. He still wasn't sure why, though Jasper had made some subtle insinuations that he'd refused to explore yet.

"Maybe, maybe not. But I have faith he can help us all, and that girl in there seems deserving enough to me." He squeezed Edward's shoulder one more time before he walked away to say goodbye to Esme before leaving for his shift. Edward stood in the doorway a moment more, studying the pale, fragile girl still lying motionless on the edge of the bed. He contemplated what Carlisle had said. He may not have faith in God, but he did have faith in Carlisle. They would see her through this and do what they could to make up for the horrors their species had inflicted on her.

With that promise to himself, he approached her unhurriedly and sat lightly on the bed next to her side, moving to gently wipe away the tear tracks from her cheeks. Drowsily, her eyes looked up and found his. They were deep with uncertainty, fear and pain. So much more that he wanted to wipe away. His draw to her and confusion over it were increasing the more time he spent with her. What made her so special was still lost to him though. He sighed lightly, still looking into her eyes.

"I know you can't understand me yet Bella, but I **will **make sure no one ever hurts you again," he whispered. Her expression changed so slightly, he almost missed it. But there in the depth of her eyes there was a flicker, a hint of recognition, of softening. He smiled warmly at her. "There you are."

When there was no further response, he caressed her cheek again softly and sat back. "Well, I fear your education has been neglected for the past few years. Why don't we start with some light reading? I'll back in a minute with something to pass the morning."

Edward stepped into Carlisle's study to fetch something Bella might find entertaining to listen to and found him just preparing to leave. "Edward, don't forget that after a long night and all those fluids, Bella will probably need to use the bathroom again shortly." He left then, chuckling at Edward's horrified expression. _Have a good day! _

______

Late that afternoon, Edward jogged down the stairs to the living room and met his siblings as they were entering the front door, all shouting complaints in their heads about the items they carried with them. He grinned in amusement "Have a nice day?"

"Honestly Emmett, was it really necessary to order every single thing on the menu!" Rosalie objected as she walked in. They were each carrying several bags from the local diner and the smell wafting from them was intense. He could understand their displeasure, having to ride in the enclosed car with what they had purchased. Because of the cold turn of the weather, they'd had to keep the windows up for appearances and no doubt the smell was intense.

"Rosie, baby, I didn't know what she'd like."

"She isn't eating anything, why would you buy more than the entire senior class could manage?" Rosalie continued as they moved through the main living area to the kitchen

In Alice's arms there were also bags from the local grocery store, and Edward politely took several out of her hands. He spied a small light blue gift bag mixed among the larger takeout bags that Emmett was carrying, but before he could ask about it, Esme came down the stairs, asking about their day at school. Though she likely already knew the answers – they would be mostly the same as any other day – they contentedly allowed her the indulgence of playing the motherly role.

Each gave a rundown of their activities from the day and Edward laughed at the replays of the events he saw in their minds. They had been especially observant during the lunch period, watching for particular favorite foods of the other teenagers. Emmett had gone so far as to ask once student during his morning history class what he was eating while the teacher's back was turned. The boy had looked at him strangely when he answered 'a pop-tart' as if it should be more than obvious. Emmett had covered well, mentioning their mom not allowing junk food in the house. The boy, obviously relishing the opportunity of potentially making friends with one of the mysterious Cullen's, had gone on to list the attributes of the processed breakfast product, attempting to give Emmett good arguments for having them himself. Edward laughed inwardly at the boy's apparent enamor with their family.

Emmett had obviously passed the suggestion on to Alice though, as he found several different varieties of pop-tarts in the grocery bags he was helping her unpack and put away. Rosalie made a hasty exit as soon as she deposited the bags she was carrying in, and Jasper and Emmett began emptying the restaurant's bags and stacking a substantial assortment of containers on the large island in the center of the kitchen. He wrinkled his nose as the steam from several of the entrees amplified their aroma.

"So how is Bella doing today?" Emmett asked eventually.

Edward frowned. "This morning was… difficult. Carlisle decided to try giving her the fluids while she was awake, rather than risk frightening her if she awoke during the process. She reacted violently as soon as she saw the needle for the IV - I'm sure you can come to the same conclusion that we did as to a reason why. She sobbed herself into exhaustion before we started, and was completely limp for the duration and more than an hour afterwards." He paused, and was briefly and uncharacteristically thankful for his inhumanity that made blushing impossible. "Carlisle left instructions that, after the fluids absorbed, she would need another 'human' moment. She barely seemed to recognize what was going on around her by that point, but she did relieve herself eventually." Though he would have expected laughter under any other circumstances, his family members were merely sympathetic for their guest, and let the embarrassment of seeing to her certain needs go without comment. He continued gratefully, "For the rest of the afternoon, I alternated reading to her and trying to get her to eat but she's remained very nearly lifeless."

"What did you read to her?" Jasper asked.

"The Merchant of Venice."

"Well no wonder she seemed lifeless," Emmett guffawed. "Shakespeare? Honestly, why not read her one of Jasper's civil war books while you're at it," he continued, laughing.

Edward rolled his eyes at Emmett's comments. "Shakespeare is a required read for most high school curriculums. Part of re acclimating her to a human life again will have to include filling in the gaps in her education."

"Perhaps we should wait to plan her education until after we are sure she will survive," Jasper, ever the pragmatist, interrupted quietly. Once again, Edward was hit with a flash of pain at the thought of potentially losing Bella, and her further withdrawal was only proving the possibility further.

"Oh, Bella will survive," Alice said confidently.

"Are you able to see her now?" Jasper asked immediately.

Alice was thoughtful for a moment before answering. "I can't really see her, or at least, not anything she's going to do. I'm just getting occasional glimpses of her. When they happen isn't clear." Edward watched as the flickering slideshow of possibilities ran through her mind. In it, was the image from the first moment they saw Bella, of him and a dark haired girl beneath an arbor of flowers surrounded by family. There was also an even more disturbing one that was less clear; a beautiful dark haired girl with red eyes and pale skin. Whether it was Bella or not, he couldn't be sure and neither was Alice. But also mixed in were snapshot like images of Bella in various activities with his family and still appearing very much human. He took heart in Alice's confidence that she would in fact recover.

"Well if we know she'll survive, then let's get to it. I ordered everything off the menu at the restaurant, there has to be something here she'd like to eat," Emmett offered, gesturing to the stacks of food containers all over the counters. They surveyed the abundance when Edward once again spied the little blue gift bag with tissue peeking out of the top.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Oh, well… the restaurant needed some time to prepare everything and the smell inside was a little strong, so I wandered over to the little shop next door. I saw something I thought Bella might like so I picked it up." He shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.

"What is it," Edward asked again, but smiled before Emmett could answer, seeing the light tan colored stuffed bear in his mind's eye. There was a blue satin bow around the neck and large black buttons for eyes.

"Just a stuffed bear," Emmett finally answered hesitantly.

Deciding to spare the taunts he could offer for now and hold on to them for ammunition later, Edward just cocked an eyebrow and let the subject go. It seemed Jasper was on the same train of thought, both enjoying the idea of having something to throw back at Emmett later when his teasing was bound to get out of hand again.

"You need to get all of this food up to Bella while it's still fresh," Alice ordered lightly. She and Esme set to work arranging everything on various trays. "Here, take these trays first, and if nothing sparks her interest Esme and I can bring up some of the other selections. We'll keep some of this in the refrigerator and oven so it doesn't get too cool or melt." Alice, acting in her usual take charge manner, passed 3 loaded trays to the boys and ushered them out of the kitchen to the stairway while she was talking.

"Emmett, do you even know what all of this stuff is?" Jasper asked suspiciously as they ascended to Bella's room.

"No, I just told them I wanted one of everything to go. The waitress was a little shocked, but I just told her we had family visiting and I wasn't sure what they liked. She didn't look convinced, but she didn't question it either," he shrugged.

They hesitated outside of Bella's room and as Edward knocked to let her know he was coming in, Jasper asked "do you think we should wait out here?"

Emmett was craning his neck around the other two trying to see into the room when Edward answered with a sigh. "Honestly I'm not even sure if she'll notice any of us. Like I said, she's hasn't shown any awareness of her surroundings since this morning."

Jasper's concern was multiplied when they entered the room. Bella was lying half curled on her side, staring off into space. She didn't even flinch when all three walked in slowly. Immediately he realized why he hadn't sensed her expected fear from downstairs… there was no fear. There was no uncertainty. The only thing he could pick up was a dull pain and numbness. She really was sinking out of consciousness, and he was suddenly in doubt of the usually precise predictions of his wife. The fluids had obviously done little to improve her condition; she still looked so thin and frail. Like Carlisle, he wondered if they should even bother waiting to put in the feeding tube or if it was only prolonging the suffering beforehand.

"We have to try and get her to eat on her own," Edward spoke in a low voice. "I'm not sure she could handle the shock of the feeding tube or if it would be the last thing to break her. She's still in there somewhere, but if we do it, it takes away the last thing she's had control over. What would that do to her sense of self, not to mention her perception of us?"

When Edward mentioned control, Jasper's head snapped up to look him in the eye before looking back at Bella again, his gaze narrowing. He looked back at Edward after coming to a sudden realization to find his eyes widened and on Bella as well.

"What did I miss?" Emmett asked quietly, used to the often silent exchanges between Edward and the rest of them.

"A theory…" Jasper said softly. "Eating would have been the one and only function she retained control over. You saw how she relieved herself on command for me last night, and then she did it again this morning for Edward. But eating is the only thing we haven't been able to get her to do and is the only thing her captors wouldn't necessarily have been able to force her to do. The only reason we can is because of Carlisle's medical knowledge. Not even all human know about feeding tubes, it's certainly understandable that vampires might not have knowledge of them either. Anyway, if I'm right, Bella is asserting the only control she can over herself by denying food. By doing so, she takes back control of another part of her life… the choice of life or death."

At Jasper's last words, Emmett's eyes widened and looked quickly to Bella. She hadn't even acknowledged their presence. Obviously things were progressing in the wrong direction. Thinking further on his theory, Jasper wondered if Bella was even conscious of what she was doing. It was certainly possible given her mindset thus far that she was unaware fully of the repercussions, or was only aware of some small part. For all they knew, she'd been given such poor quality food that she wasn't able to stomach it any longer and had quit eating to avoid the suffering that would come with eating rotten food. Whatever the reasons surrounding her decision, he had a feeling Edward was right; they needed her to be the one to make the decision, not them.

They each set their trays down on various surfaces around the room. Emmett stood by the window and pulled back the curtains a bit to allow the last of the overcast daylight into the dimness. Edward knelt down next to the bed, at eye level with Bella. "Bella, we've brought some dinner up for you." They waited, each hoping for some response at all, but Jasper was especially worried when not even her heart rate increased at Edward's nearness.

He concentrated on sending feelings of comfort, warmth and calm through Bella's numbness. He slowly increased his assault, expending more effort than he expected to break through her emotional barriers. After what seemed like hours, but was in actuality less than a minute, Bella's eyes blinked and came into focus. With the amount of calm Jasper was radiating, she didn't have a chance to panic; instead she continue to lay motionless, her eyes locked on Edwards. Her expression stayed in one of blanket acceptance, knowing she had no chance of fighting whatever they chose to do to her.

Edward stood, and with Jasper continuing to assault her emotions, she didn't flinch when he leaned forward and lifted her shoulders gently, helping her to sit up. Jasper could feel the exhaustion now, and was troubled to see how quickly she was weakening physically. He could feel both Edward and Emmett's concern as well. He was surprised still at her lack of reaction when Edward gently slipped behind her and sat down, leaning her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her for support. She didn't fight his touch, but neither did she relax into it.

Taking his cue from Edward's nod, Jasper moved forward and picked up one of the trays of food, setting it on the edge of the bed and knelt down in front of Bella. Though she was obviously ready to slip back into her previous state of lifelessness, Edward was keeping her attention with small moves and touches to her arms. Again, Jasper was just slightly perplexed at her behavior. It seemed she never did what any of them expected.

The tray he'd chosen first contained cheese covered pasta, mashed potatoes, a steak, a chicken breast covered in sauce, and a slice of apple pie with ice cream. He picked up a spoon and took a small scoop of the potatoes and held it up in front of her. Her eyes focused briefly on the food. Before she turned away, Jasper felt a wash of hunger and pain go through her. He once again held the food in front of her and this time moved it forward to her lips. "Bella, open," he said in a clear and commanding voice. He continued his emotional assault at the same time, trying to demand her relaxation and acquiescence. He built upon her hunger, hoping to break down her resolve, but it seemed to only strengthen it.

After a moment he tried again with the cheesy pasta and was met with the same results. They tried over and over with each different type of food. Jasper was hesitant when they got to the red gelatinous concoction, he worried to her it would look like thickened blood, but she reacted as indifferently as she had to every other offering. Alice and Esme brought up trays with other samples and took back the ones that had been discarded, remaining out of sight in the hallways where Emmett met them for the trade off. After a full hour of attempts, they had gone through all the prepared foods from the restaurant and Bella had yet to show the slightest weakening in her self-inflicted starvation. She was nearly limp in Edward's arms when he gently lifted her up and laid her back down on the bed, her back against the wall of pillows.

Almost immediately she slipped into a restless doze, small whimpers escaping her pale lips as they left her alone, shutting the door softly behind them.

"Edward," Jasper spoke quietly as they met the others in the kitchen, "I agree with your feelings on Bella eating on her own, but I'm not sure how much longer we can put her through this kind of suffering. Watching her up there, I'm not even sure if she's capable of eating on her own even if she wanted to. She's completely given up on life. There's no more fear, no more hope, just pain and acceptance. If we want her to live, I think our only chance is going to be putting that feeding tube in, and the sooner the better."

Edward ran a hand through his hair, his emotions battling his thoughts. Jasper could tell he agreed, but something continued to hold him back. "Tomorrow morning then. If she doesn't eat something by the time Carlisle has to leave for the hospital, we'll put in the tube."

Jasper nodded his agreement. "We'll wake her up and try again in the morning before he does it, give her one last chance. I don't like the idea any more than you, but she's left us no other choice." They were quiet then, each deep in their own thoughts as they cleaned up and stored the last of the food Bella had refused. When they were done, Edward was about to return to Bella's room when he caught the thoughts of Emmett already walking up the stairs. Worried that Bella might be frightened if she woke up with Emmett alone in her room, he swiftly followed. Leaning against his own bedroom door, ready to intervene if needed, he refused to admit even to himself that she would likely react the same to him as she would to any of the other men in the house. Emmett raised an eyebrow at his obvious protectiveness.

_Laying claim little brother?_ he teased good naturedly. Edward huffed and rolled his eyes, refusing to answer. Emmett merely chuckled and knocked lightly on the door as the others had recommended before entering Bella's room. The small blue bag in his hands rustled faintly as he lifted out the soft teddy bear and stepped silently over to Bella's sleeping form. Gently setting the teddy bear in her outstretched arms, he whispered "sweet dreams little sister." He was elated when, with a soft sigh, her hands closed around the bear and she pulled it tightly into her chest, curling herself around it.

_ EDWARD! Did you see that! She took the bear! _Edward appeared in the door almost instantly, eyes wide with surprise. Emmett grinned widely from where he was crouched beside the bed.

"How did you get her to take it?" he asked quickly.

"I just slipped it into her arms. She's still asleep." He answered. Their conversation was low enough not to disturb Bella's fitful slumber.

Jasper appeared behind Edward, confused at the sudden emotional shift he'd felt from downstairs. "What's going on?" he asked.

"She took the bear. Look!" Emmett answered, still grinning at his small triumph. Bella was curled on her side, looking tiny and frail in the huge bed. The teddy bear was tucked under her arm and her face was nuzzled into the soft fur. Her breathing had evened out and Jasper could sense she'd relaxed infinitesimally.

The twin looks of astonishment on Edward and Jasper's faces only amused Emmett further. He stood and sauntered out of the room with a large grin. "I so totally rock!" Jasper and Edward's shocked faces remained, both looking back at Bella cuddling with the stuffed bear as Emmett headed upstairs to find Rosalie.

"What do you make of that?" Edward asked Jasper as they backed out of the room and closed the door.

"I have no idea," he responded. "She relaxed immediately though. Not a lot, but definitely in response to the bear."

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Carlisle will be home in another hour or so, and we'll have to give her another round of the IV." He didn't say it, but Jasper knew what he was hinting at and although he was frustrated with himself over his difficulty in resisting temptation, he understood it was better not to take chances at this point, especially with the risk that even the slightest wrong move could hurt Bella so much more. He was surprised then with Edward's following comment.

"I think you should stay in the house. Bella was… beyond terrified… this morning. If you can help make it easier on her…" he trailed off.

Jasper nodded, knowing Edward was trying not to insult him by insinuating anything about his struggle for control, but still Jasper was frustrated with himself. He didn't like feeling like a burden to his family with his particular difficulties. Nevertheless, it was his own cross to bear and not his family's fault. He owed it to them to suffer whatever was asked without complaint. They had done so much more for him over the years.

"Jasper, I know more than any one of them why control comes so much harder to you, even better than Alice does. I've seen your memories. Not one of us begrudges you -" Jasper chuckled darkly, thinking of Rosalie, "okay well, those of us that count - don't begrudge you."

Jasper smiled tightly, not wanting to rehash a conversation he'd had many times with nearly every member of the family. "I'm going to head out now and see if I can do a little hunting then. I'll be back in time. Emmett, Alice and I can stay upstairs in Esme's studio. It should allow me to stay the closest and still give us a quick exit out the balcony if needed." What Jasper didn't need to say was that it also had the longest route to Bella's room if Jasper lost control and tried to attack, giving Emmett and Alice a chance to stop him.

"We'll all be here. Besides, Carlisle is an expert. There wasn't even a full drop of blood this morning." Jasper just nodded and sped down the stairs. Alice was already waiting at the door in the kitchen and he smiled when he saw her. She had never once judged him for his weaknesses. They stepped out the door and sped across the lawn, leaping the river behind the house easily. Back in the mansion, Edward could hear Emmett upstairs gloating to Rosalie and Esme about his great success with Bella.

_____

Just over an hour later, Carlisle returned home. He kissed Esme on the forehead when she greeted him and looked to Edward, Rosalie and Emmett lounging around the living room. "How did things go today?"

Edward grimaced. "Not well. She stayed completely shut down for the entire day. She never really came out of it. Emmett brought home the entire menu from the diner on Main Street, but she wouldn't even acknowledge that we were in the room, much less trying to feed her.'

"Don't forget to tell him the good part!" Emmett interrupted. "I totally rock! I brought Bella a present and she loves it!"

Both Edward and Rosalie rolled their eyes and Carlisle cocked an eyebrow in amused interest. "Emmett bought Bella a teddy bear and she took to it immediately. In her sleep, I might add," Edward explained.

"Took to it, how so?" Carlisle questioned further.

"She took it straight out of my hands and started cuddling with it. She obviously felt much better when I gave it to her," Emmett gloated further, a smug grin on his face.

"He stuck it in her arms while she was asleep and she curled up with it hugged to her chest. Might I reiterate," Edward said, shooting a look at Emmett," she was firmly asleep the entire time, and still probably has no conscious idea that she even has the teddy bear yet."

"Whatever dude, I still rock," Emmett said confidently, returning to the video game.

Edward tossed his control onto the couch as he rose. "She didn't eat at all, so we'll have to go through this morning's torture session again," Edward said reluctantly as he followed Carlisle upstairs to his study. "I've asked Jasper to stick around and see if he can make it any easier on her. He and Alice went hunting and should be back anytime."

_Is Jasper up to the challenge of pushing his control that hard? You weren't so confident in his abilities this morning. _Carlisle asked.

"He'll be upstairs in Esme's studio with Emmett and Alice. Between them, they should be able to head off any potential disasters. Bella reacted too badly this morning; I don't want to put her through that again. She still hasn't recovered."

Carlisle nodded, accepting of their decisions. "We've also decided if she doesn't eat anything by tomorrow morning, then we'll need to put in the feeding tube. She's getting noticeably weaker and we aren't sure how much longer she can take." Edward sat down in a chair in front of Carlisle's desk, where he was pulling out several files for review before his shift the next day. Carlisle walked around and placed his hand on Edward's shoulder, offering comfort to his first son.

"Sometimes making the right decision regarding the care of another is making a choice that will be hardest for them. We'll do all we can to see that Bella is traumatized as little as possible." _I'm sure Jasper wouldn't mind a break from school, he can always stay home with you and Bella for the first few days to help her acclimate,_ he continued. Edward appreciated that Carlisle did not question that Edward would insist on staying as well.

There was a knock at the open door and Jasper walked in. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Let's do this now then. I know Bella has been asleep for most of the day, but we should try to let her sleep through the night as much as possible and then wake her in the morning. Helping her develop a more regular schedule will make it easier for her to create a comfort zone here with us," Carlisle instructed.

Jasper nodded and exited the room, heading upstairs to Esme's large studio. Alice was already waiting for him, and Emmett passed through the hallway moments later to join them. Edward waited for Carlisle to collect what he needed and both went down the hall to Bella's room. Edward knocked softly, not wanting to wake Bella yet if she was still sleeping, and then opened the door. She was still in the same position as they had left her, curled around the small teddy bear with her back to the wall. "Carlisle, with Jasper here we can ensure she stays asleep through the process. Wouldn't it be better to spare her from the stress of this morning?"

"I would like her to learn that we aren't harming her, but for now yes, I believe you're right that it's better for her not to be aware. Once she's learned to trust us in normal activities, she may be more receptive to accepting our actions in more difficult situations."

"Jasper, please keep her as deeply asleep as you can," Edward requested.

_Agreed._ Edward heard him pass on mentally. _Let me know when you're finished. _

Edward reached out and drew Bella's arm away from her body. Her other arm gripped tighter around the bear, as if she were afraid of it being taken away. She mumbled lightly and sighed before settling again. Careful to keep his touch as feather light as he could, Edward held her arm to keep it perfectly still for Carlisle and took a deep breath, holding it. Her scent burned his throat, but not nearly as strongly as her blood would. Carlisle was just as quick and efficient as he had been earlier in the day. In only 20 minutes, the bag was empty. "The pain medication I put in tonight should help her sleep as well. Jasper shouldn't be needed any longer."

"Jasper, hold your breath," Edward called, careful not to inhale.

The needle was out in lightning speed and the band aid on. As soon as Carlisle was finished, Edward stood up and strode from the room. He took a slight sample breath in the hallway, finding the air clear. Carlisle had managed to withdraw the needle without a single drop of blood escaping. Still, he took the used needle and put it in a small tin with a dab of alcohol, lighting it and destroying any lingering scent.

"Jasper, you're clear," Edward called out lightly. _Thanks,_ came the reply from above. Between holding his breath and Carlisle's expertise, there had been no more added temptation than usual. Emmett's mild disappointment amused Edward. Emmett had always wanted to pit himself against Jasper, but the older vampire had thus far refused to do anything more than playful sparring. Both Jasper and Edward knew that Emmett's brute strength would be no match for the experience of his battle hardened sibling, but neither felt the need to drive the point home.

"I don't have to leave for the hospital until early afternoon tomorrow," Carlisle spoke, walking out of Bella's room and shutting the door softly behind him. "We'll give her another chance to eat in the morning and if it doesn't work, then we'll put the feeding tube in before I go." Edward nodded unhappily as they headed off to their own pursuits for the night. He settled at his piano downstairs, plucking out a tune that nagged in the back of his mind.

He listened to Bella sleeping above as he played through the night, occasional rises in her heartbeat indicating a nightmare before Jasper would calm her back down. The melody he'd been toying with followed along. As he fussed with the piece, it dawned on him that it was a lullaby he was creating with her in mind. When it did, the segments that had been giving him trouble began to fall into place. Though it wasn't finished, when the sun had risen fully, he left the piano for the time being and headed into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Bella. Discouraged from their lack of any improvement the day before, he only chose a few selections. He poured a bowl of cereal from a box called "Rice Krispies", and seeing the picture on the front, quickly sliced a banana and added that on top. He cut a slice of some gooey pastry and placed it on a plate, adding that to the tray as well. As he was peeling an orange, Emmett walked in the kitchen, his interest peeked.

"Don't forget to add one of those popping tart things. That kid in class went on and on about how good they are." Edward rolled his eyes at Emmett's comment, but rather than argue, opened the cabinet and pulled out one of the boxes.

"Which flavor?" he asked Emmett, condescension obvious in his voice.

"I don't know. She didn't like the chocolate milk, so I'd pass on the chocolate one for now. What other flavors are there?"

"The only one without chocolate in it is strawberry," Edward answered, putting the other boxes back. Reading the instructions on the back, he searched quickly and found a toaster tucked in one of the cabinets under the counter. Plugging it in, he set the temperature and dropped the two hard pastries in. When the timer dinged, he picked them up and set them on the last plate on the tray. They didn't look even remotely appetizing to him, more like brightly colored cardboard. To finish out the prepared breakfast, he took down two glasses, pouring one half full with orange juice, and the other half full with milk.

Balancing the tray on one hand with ease, he glided through the living room and up the stairs to Bella's room with barely a ripple in the two drinks. He knocked softly and entered, Jasper and Emmett once again joining him. This time, as he went to set the tray down on the bureau, it was Jasper who approached Bella first. Emmett walked to the window as before and pulled back the curtains partway, bathing the room in the misty morning light from the forest outside.

Jasper concentrated on keeping Bella's fear banked and spreading calm through the room as he woke her. "Bella, come on little one. It's time to wake up and have some breakfast." Her scent was powerful, mouthwatering, but he fought it back with more determination than he'd thought he possessed. It took more than he expected to wake her this time and it had both himself and Edward worried about how far gone she was already. Finally he was rewarded when her eyes opened half way, barely focusing in on his face in front of her. There was no spike of fear for him to fight down, only acceptance, pain, and despair.

"Alice, can you come upstairs please," he called out. In less than a second, he could feel her presence outside the room, knowing she understood already what he needed. He concentrated on her warmth, her joy in life, and most of all his love for her and pushed those feelings towards Bella as hard as he could, trying desperately to inspire her will to live again. After a moment he was rewarded when her eyes cleared and focused on him. Stepping back, he kept that flow of emotion pulsating around the room. She still showed no signs of interest in anything around her, but at least he could be sure she was fully conscious.

"Damn Bro, I almost want to hug you that's so strong," came Emmett's awed comment from across the room.

Edward stepped forward and took Jasper's place on the bed then, setting the tray between himself and Bella. "Bella, you need to eat this morning. If you can't, we're going to have to put a tube down your throat to help you get the nutrients you need. You need to try and do this on your own; we know you don't want that tube." Edward was reduced to very nearly pleading with her.

He took a spoonful of the cereal and held it in front of her, hoping for at least some signs of interest. Even as he watched, her eyes were slowly losing focus again. "Damn it, Jasper!" he hissed under his breath.

"I can't force her to want to eat Edward," he hissed back. "I'm pushing all the desire and hunger I can at her, and you can see that perfectly well for yourself. I'm about ready to tear into that nasty stuff myself. There's only so much I can do if she doesn't want to live. We're losing her and there's nothing I can do about it. You think that makes me any happier?"

Edward sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. Finally he stood, and strode to the door, leaving the food sitting in front of Bella's prostrate form. "Carlisle," he called from the doorway. "We're ready to put the tube in, there's nothing –"

_Edward! _Jasper's thoughts interrupted him. In his fury and disappointment he'd missed the subtle shift of emotions in the room. _Look!_ Glancing back over his shoulder, Edward froze, watching Bella. Her eyes were sharply in focus now and staring at the tray in front of her. _When you moved, the air current blew the scent of the food at her! It caught her attention immediately. There's something on that tray that she recognized and wants badly._

None of them dared to move. When Edward heard Carlisle approaching behind them, he whispered under his breath to wait. Seconds passed that seemed like hours. So slowly, he was sure they would have missed the movement if they had been humans, her hand twitched, then moved toward the tray that she hadn't taken her eyes off of. She reached forward, her movements hesitant and cautious, as if still undecided or expecting a retaliation. Each of the three in the room with her waited anxiously for what she would do, her progress agonizingly slow.

When her fingertips brushed the plate and took hold of the small rectangle his jaw very nearly dropped. Just as slowly as she had reached for it, she drew the toasted pastry back to her, studying it as if it held the answers to life. When she tentatively lifted it to her lips, he wanted to cheer. When she took the smallest bite, he wanted to shout his elation to the entire town. But they remained silent, watching as a single tear slid down her cheek, landing on the nose of the teddy bear still gripped tightly in her other arm.

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**A/N: Don't forget to review, no matter what you thought – it helps motivate me to keep going! Suggestions, ideas, thoughts, questions, are all very welcome!**

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	7. Chapter 7

Hi All!!

I know, I absolutely hate when other authors tease us like this with an update that turns out to just be an author's note, but I've gotten a number of PM's lately and wanted to answer everyone's plea for another chapter.

YES, I am definitely planning to continue this story, and am really looking forward to doing so, but right now life is INSANE!! At the earliest I hope to have time to write again sometime in late July or early August, but it may be even later than that before I can get back to this story.

I have a very busy 3.5 week trip planned on the other side of the country that starts next week, planning a permanent move across country by the end of summer with pets and all, a divorce, and I'm in school full time online. Trust me, I'd really rather be writing than doing most of this, lol.

Thank you ALL for the amazing support for my first ever fic, I really hope it's worth the wait and I'm certainly anxious to get back to the characters. I have a lot planned for the next chapter, including the much asked for return to Bella's POV. Sorry I haven't been able to respond to every review, but do know that I read each and every one of them and they are so appreciated!

Much love ~Wishes


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